Ohio House Speaker Charged In Bribery Case

Ohio Speaker of the House Larry Householder and four others are in custody in connection with a 60-million dollar bribery case, believed to be the largest racketeering conspiracy in state history.

Former state Republican Chairman Matt Borges, lobbyist Neil Clark, lobbyist Juan Cespedes, and political consultant Jeff Longstreth were all arrested on Tuesday along with Householder.

Federal prosecutors say the defendants received so-called “dark money” in connection with the passage of a measure to bail out nuclear power plants in Ohio.

“Make no mistake, these allegations are bribery pure and simple. This was a quid pro quo, this was pay to play,” said David Devillers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio.

He said that $61 million was funneled through a pass-through organization to secure the speakership for Householder, to ensure that lawmakers would vote for the controversial House Bill 6 and to stifle a ballot effort that would have reversed the bailouts.

Devillers said that no one associated with the company providing the bribes has yet been charged, but all signs point to First Energy being at the center of the so-called “dark money.”

Governor DeWine is calling on Householder to resign immediately.