Former GOP Ohio speaker, lobbyist guilty in $60 million bribery scheme
PBS NewsHourNov 27, 2022
The Facts
Former GOP Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, Larry Householder, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday for his role in what prosecutors have called potentially the largest corruption scandal in the history of Ohio.
The state alleged that the FirstEnergy Corporation funneled $60M to Householder in exchange for him rushing through the House a bill that granted the company a bailout for two of the company's nuclear energy plants worth $1.3B in 2019. Five individuals were charged in connection, with a federal investigation still ongoing.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
This is yet another example of the Republican rot that has taken hold in state and local governments across the country. While the FirstEnergy bailout was immensely unpopular with Ohio voters of all political stripes, the Republicans have continued to obstruct efforts to fully repeal the legislation — meaning Ohio's taxpayers are still paying for this dirty deal. Ohio is a profoundly gerrymandered state, and the GOP has gotten far too comfortable in power, with many of them implicated in the scandal, even if they were never charged.
Republican narrative
Let's not forget that the bailout would not have passed without the support of Democrats at the statehouse, and Householder was only able to hold onto the speaker's gavel for so long because of them. It was also a Democrat speaker who established the powers that gave speakers inordinate power over the state government, power that enabled Householder in his situation. Democrats also bear some responsibility for their carelessness in enabling Householder over the years.
