COLUMBUS – In an historic move, the Ohio House voted to oust Republican Larry Householder as speaker after his arrest in alleged $60 million bribery scheme.
Householder became the first Ohio House speaker ever removed by the chamber, according to the Ohio History Connection.
At least for now, he still retains his seat in the Legislature.
Remaining members of Householder’s leadership team had said he deserves the presumption of innocence but “lost the trust of his colleagues and the public” and couldn’t effectively lead the House.
The unanimous bipartisan vote came on the same day that Householder and four associates were named in a 43-page federal racketeering indictment, according to the office of U.S. Attorney David DeVillers.
Householder, 61, of Glenford, and four others, including former Ohio GOP chair Matt Borges, were previously charged in a criminal complaint that was unsealed on July 21, prompting the effort to remove Householder from the speaker’s post.
The five running a scheme in which bribes were funneled through a “dark money” social welfare organization, Generation Now, operated on Householder’s behalf.
The bribes allegedly paid for votes to help elect Householder to the speaker’s chair, guarantee passage of a bill bailing out two failing nuclear plants and bankrolling efforts to prevent a repeal of the law by voters.
Householder and his attorney have ignored or declined requests for comment about the allegations.