Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Another Plea Deal In Householder/Nuclear Bailout Corruption Case

Karen Kasler

There’s another plea deal in the federal corruption case involving Republican former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, the former chair of the Ohio Republican Party and a utility widely believed to be Akron-based FirstEnergy. That case has been called the largest bribery scandal in state history. Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler reports

The dark money nonprofit or 501(c)4 group Generation Now has pleaded guilty to a racketeering charge, admitting it was used to funnel tens of millions of dollars in bribes from the utility to Householder.

Federal prosecutor David Devillers explained last summer the money helped Householder become speaker and pass the law that would authorize more than a billion dollars in subsidies for two nuclear plants formerly owned by FirstEnergy.

“The codefendants in this case along with Larry Householder are all political advisers, lobbyists who all worked in different capacities. But make no mistake, this is Larry Householder’s 501(c)4," DeVillers said at that July press conference outlining the $61 million alleged bribery scheme.

Householder adviser Jeff Longstreth and lobbyist Juan Cespedes pleaded guilty to racketeering charges last year.

Householder, who was re-elected last fall, has said he’s innocent. So have former Ohio Republican Party Chair Matt Borges and lobbyist Neil Clark.

Householder remains a member of the House, though Speaker Bob Cupp (R-Lima) has suggested the Republican caucus could expel him. But there have been no moves by majority Republicans to do that, and Householder was at House session this week.  

The Statehouse News Bureau was founded in 1980 to provide educational, comprehensive coverage of legislation, elections, issues and other activities surrounding the Statehouse to Ohio's public radio and television stations. To this day, the Bureau remains the only broadcast outlet dedicated to in-depth coverage of state government news and topics of statewide interest. The Bureau is funded througheTech Ohio, and is managed by ideastream. The reporters at the Bureau follow the concerns of the citizens and voters of Ohio, as well as the actions of the Governor, the Ohio General Assembly, the Ohio Supreme Court, and other elected officials. We strive to cover statehouse news, government issues, Ohio politics, and concerns of business, culture and the arts with balance and fairness, and work to present diverse voices and points of view from the Statehouse and throughout Ohio. The three award-winning journalists at the bureau have more than 60 combined years of radio and television experience. They can be heard on National Public Radio and are regular contributors to Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Marketplace. Every weekday, the Statehouse News Bureau produces in-depth news reports forOhio's public radio stations. Those stories are also available on this website, either on the front page or in our archives. Weekly, the Statehouse News Bureau produces a television show from our studios in the Statehouse. The State of Ohio is an unique blend of news, interviews, talk and analysis, and is broadcast on Ohio's public television stations. The Statehouse News Bureau also produces special programming throughout the year, including the Governor's annual State of the State address to the Ohio General Assembly and a five-part year-end review.
Related Content