COLUMBUS – The impasse over who will be the next Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives has brought business in the chamber to a halt and Democrats – spurred on by a search of the former speaker’s home – have been quick to criticize what they call a “culture of corruption, chaos and dysfunction” at the Statehouse.
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“Today’s developments are symptoms of a sickness in the capital,” Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Richard Cordray said. “It’s no secret our legislature has gone completely off the rails as a result of one-party rule.”
Federal agents on Wednesday searched former Republican Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger’s home in southwest Ohio and a nearby storage unit. The FBI is said to be looking into Rosenberger’s international travel and lavish lifestyle, an investigation which has clouded efforts to replace the speaker, who resigned in April, and energized Democrats.
“There is important work left for this General Assembly to do this year, and instead of holding the people’s work hostage, we should be coming together to defend the integrity of this institution and get back to the work we were sent here to do,” said Sen. David Leland (D-Columbus) after majority Republicans canceled House sessions Wednesday and Thursday following three failed attempts by Republicans to choose a successor to Rosenberger (R-Clarksville).
As Ohio heads into general election season, Democrats are highlighting a number of Statehouse scandals, including one involving the implosion of an online charter school that made hefty political contributions that were heavily tilted toward Republicans. The Democrats are attempting to use the same theme that swept them into office in 2006 after the Coingate scandal and findings of criminal ethics violations against GOP Gov. Bob Taft and several others.
By mid-afternoon Wednesday, Ohio Democrats were fund-raising off the FBI raids — complete with a video of FBI agents at Rosenberger’s Clarksville home.
“Bottom line: Predatory lenders couldn’t operate without politicians like Rosenberger in their pocket. For-profit charter school operators couldn’t thrive and siphon money from taxpayers without corrupt politicians looking the other way as they cashed their campaign checks,” the party said.
Cordray, who helped develop national regulations on payday lenders as director of the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, pointed out that the Rosenberger scandal is reportedly connected to that industry.
“Payday lending lobbyists who paid for Rosenberger to travel the globe have gotten exactly what they want,” Cordray said. His opponent, Republican Attorney General “Mike DeWine hasn’t made a peep about any of this,” Cordray said.
“This chaos and dysfunction at the House is preventing the people’s work from being done,” said Rep. Jack Cera (D-Bellaire) dropping two of the buzz-words popular among Statehouse Democrats on Wednesday.
“As a dark cloud of uncertainty and pay-to-play allegations hangs over the Ohio Statehouse, we need to work to restore the public trust – and that starts with showing up and doing the work,” Cera said.
“I am appalled by how the culture of corruption, chaos and dysfunction of the House Republican majority has brought legislative activity to a grinding halt,” said Rep. Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood).
“I am deeply concerned that internal Statehouse politics has been allowed to get in the way of the legislative process,” Rep. Richard D. Brown (D-Canal Winchester) added. “Dozens of bills are awaiting a floor vote and hundreds more are creating a legislative backlog. It is time that we get back to doing the people’s work.”
The controversy has opened fissures between House Republicans, who have been unable to come to a consensus and muster the 50 votes they need to elect a new speaker.
One Republican lawmaker says he has the votes but is accusing his chief rival of underhanded dealing and says under no circumstances is he under investigation by the FBI.
House Finance Chairman Ryan Smith, of Gallia County, angrily called out state Rep. Larry Householder, a fellow Republican and former speaker, and his allies for stalling the speaker selection with tactics “from bullying to threats to downright extortion.”
Smith said false rumors were being spread that his house was searched on Wednesday as well as Rosenberger’s.
Householder called Smith’s allegations unfounded and “unequivocally false.”