A panel of federal appeals judges has upheld the racketeering convictions of former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, R-Glenford, as part of what’s commonly called the “largest bribery scheme in Ohio history.”
Householder was convicted following a March 2023 trial on charges that he participated in a racketeering conspiracy to advance a billion-dollar nuclear plant bailout codified in House Bill 6, which lawmakers passed in 2019.
The former speaker appealed on multiple fronts, including that the court erred in admitting various evidence, insufficient evidence to convict him and that his sentence was procedurally and substantively unreasonable. The court disagreed.
“The evidence showed that Householder agreed to commit—and did commit—extortion and honest services fraud,” the court ruled. “That is, he solicited and received millions of dollars from FirstEnergy in exchange for passing the bailout legislation and saving that bailout from a voter referendum.”
The Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Cincinnati also upheld the conviction of lobbyist and former Ohio Republican Party chair Matt Borges. He was sentenced to five years in prison.
“On appeal, Householder and Borges bring a number of claims challenging their convictions,” the court ruled. “Because each defendant’s arguments fail, we uphold their convictions.”
According to the Associated Press, Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris said the decision “affirmed the strength of the government’s evidence, the correctness of the jury instructions, and the fairness of the proceeding.”
In a statement to WEWS-TV and the Ohio Capital Journal, Householder’s attorney, Scott Pullins, called the ruling a “sad and disappointing day for Mr. Householder, Mr. Borges, and their families and supporters,” adding that it was “a sadder day for constitutional free speech and the rule of law.”
“Mr. Householder, like former Ohio Speakers Cliff Rosenberger and Ryan Smith, and current Speaker Matt Huffman, raised undisclosed, unlimited donations for a 501c4 organization that supported him and his political allies,” the Ohio Capital Journal quoted Pullins as saying in a statement. “But the federal government singled only Mr. Householder out for prosecution.
“In the H.B. 6 matter, Mr. Householder led one House in the legislative branch of state government,” Pullins said. “To pass H.B. 6, it required the support of former Senate President Larry Obhof and his chamber, along with the support of Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted. All received undisclosed, corporate donations from First Energy and worked closely with them to pass H.B. 6. But the federal government singled only Mr. Householder out for prosecution.”
According to federal documents, between March 2017 and March 2020, the enterprise exchanged millions of dollars in bribery campaign donations to help pass HB 6, which Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law in July 2019. Prosecutors also say the defendants worked to defeat a ballot initiative to overturn HB 6.
In March 2017, Householder began receiving quarterly payments of $250,000 from related energy companies into Generation Now’s bank account, which was his 501(c)(4). Householder’s team spent millions of dollars to support his House speaker bid and support candidates they thought would back him and for personal benefit.
Prosecutors said Householder spent more than $500,000 “to pay off his credit card balances, repair his Florida home and settle a business lawsuit.”
A federal judge subsequently sentenced Householder to 20 years in prison, and he is incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution, Elkton, in Lisbon.
According to reports, two others tied to the case committed suicide. Lobbyist Neil Clark died in 2021, and former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chairman Sam Randazzo died in April 2024.
Jeffrey Longstreth of Columbus, Householder’s “longtime campaign and political strategist,” and Juan Cespedes of Columbus, a lobbyist, pleaded guilty in October 2020.
In January, a federal grand jury indicted two former FirstEnergy executives — Charles E. Jones, 69, of Akron, and Michael Dowling, 60, of Massillon. Both were charged with participating in a racketeering conspiracy.
