Former Ohio Speaker, Already Serving Time for Corruption, Indicted on More Charges

Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder (C), walks into Potter Stewart U.S. Courthouse with his attorneys, Mark Marein (L), and Steven Bradley (R), before jury selection in his federal trial in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Jan. 20, 2023. (Joshua A. Bickel/AP Photo)

The former Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives has been indicted on multiple state felony charges related to the misuse of campaign funds and ethics violations, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced on March 26.

This comes after Larry Householder, a Republican, was already convicted on federal charges last year, with the new charges potentially ending his ability to hold public office in Ohio permanently.

“This case seeks to hold Mr. Householder accountable for his actions under state law, and I expect that the results will permanently bar him from public service in Ohio,” Mr. Yost said. “State crimes have state penalties, and a conviction will ensure that there will be no more comebacks from the ‘Comeback Kid.’”

Householder’s Current Sentence

Mr. Householder, 64, faces a range of new accusations that include theft in office, aggravated theft, telecommunications fraud, money laundering, and tampering with records.

These charges are rooted in allegations of misusing campaign funds for personal legal defenses and failing to report financial activity accurately.

The legal defense he allegedly used campaign funds to pay for is related to his previous federal charges surrounding a contentious piece of Ohio legislation, HB6, and the $61 million corruption scheme related to its passage.

Last summer, Mr. Householder was sentenced to 20 years in prison on federal charges related to accepting over $60 million in bribes from FirstEnergy via a “dark money group” in order to put him in the speaker’s seat in 2019 and pass HB6. He is currently appealing that sentence.

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HB6 was a 2019 law that was set to provide a $1.3 billion utility bailout to FirstEnergy and other related companies, according to the Dayton Daily News. The bribe he received was also used to defeat a referendum aimed at stopping HB6, among other personal expenses, according to the outlet.

New Charges Laid Out

One of the most notable new charges, theft in office, could, upon conviction, permanently disqualify Mr. Householder from holding any public office, employment, or position of trust within Ohio.

The indictment stems from the efforts of a task force under the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, initiated at the request of the Summit County prosecutor, where FirstEnergy’s headquarters are located.

Of the new charges, Mr. Householder’s lawyer, Steven Bradley said on Monday he has not spoken to Mr. Householder yet, but he hopes “to do that soon and will determine how to best proceed,” according to the Associated Press.

The Epoch Times reached out to Mr. Bradley for comment but did not hear back before publication time.

AG’s Investigative Timeline

The task force’s work is part of the investigation surrounding the HB6 scandal. Last month, Mr. Yost announced that three former energy officials had been indicted on public corruption charges as a result of the task force.

“The indictments were part of the Attorney General’s continuing work to hold those responsible for the House Bill 6 scandal accountable and to save Ohioans significant taxpayer dollars,” Mr. Yost said in a press release. “Through several civil court filings, Yost removed the ill-gotten gains from the corruption legislation, saving the state’s FirstEnergy customers nearly $2 billion over the life of HB6.”

In September 2020, Mr. Yost sued Mr. Householder and energy companies and accomplices. In November 2020, he moved to block the “bailout,” which was a result of HB6 and would have taken $150 million a year from energy customers to give to Energy Harbor.

FirstEnergy filed for bankruptcy in October 2019 and reemerged as Energy Harbor in 2020.

A judge approved his request to prevent the bailout in December 2020. In August 2021, Mr. Yost was granted a request to prevent a “decoupling order,” which would have cost energy customers $700 million to $1 billion through 2029.

Public and Legal Reactions

During a press conference detailing the new charges, Mr. Yost emphasized the necessity of these state charges, highlighting the unique provision in Ohio law that prohibits convicted individuals from returning to public office–a direct response to Mr. Householder’s existing 20-year federal sentence.

The legal framework in Ohio offers a more definitive barrier against future political re-engagement by individuals convicted of such severe misconduct.

Deputy Attorney General Carol O'Brien, leading the task force, outlined the specifics of the indictment, shedding light on the alleged misuse of over $750,000 from Mr. Householder’s campaign account for personal legal fees, among other financial discrepancies and ethical violations.

“Mr. Householder had checks written and authorized wire transfers for money from his campaign account to be paid to his Cleveland defense attorneys,” she said. “The evidence will demonstrate that Mr. Householder was aware that he did not have the authority to pay for his criminal defense with money from his supporters in his campaign account.”

Mr. Householder was most elected to the Ohio House in 2016 and assumed office in January 2017, according to Mr. Yost.

He was elected House speaker in 2019, a role he held until his removal from the position in July 2020 after his federal indictment and arrest, the AG added in his press release.

Mr. Householder remained a state representative until June 16, 2021, when the House expelled him.

The new charges mark another chapter in the complex legal and ethical scrutiny of Mr. Householder and associated figures within Ohio’s political arena.