COLUMBUS, Ohio – A southwest Ohio lawmaker facing nearly 70 criminal charges can keep his job, but Peter Beck has been stripped of the chairmanship of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.
The move came hours after it was announced that indictments on 53 new charges, including racketeering, fraud and perjury, had been issued against the Republican from Mason.
House Speaker William Batchelder (R- Medina) says Beck agreed to give up his influential position in light of the new indictments delivered by a grand jury in Cincinnati on Thursday.
“There are several important initiatives currently being considered by this committee that must continue uninterrupted,” Batchelder said.
If Batchelder had his way, it wouldn’t have stopped there, he says.
“While I do not have the sole authority to remove any member of House, it is still my belief that it is in the best interest of Representative Beck, his family, and the constituents of the 54th House District for him to resign,” Batchelder said in a statement issued about four hours after Attorney General Mike DeWine and Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney Joseph Deters announced the indictments.
Beck has rejected calls for his resignation and is running for re-election. Beck’s attorneys called the new charges false allegations and say that he maintains his innocence.
Beck already faced trial in April after a 16-count indictment returned last year, but that trial may be moved back if the new charges are included, DeWine said.
The original charges accused Beck of misleading investors during his stint as finance office of a troubled firm. The most recent indictments charge that he stole funds from TML Consulting LLC, of Cincinnati a business and used them for his campaign.
The firm was indicted on eight counts, including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and telecommunications and securities fraud.
The Columbus Dispatch, which first reported on Beck’s activities a year ago, reports that investments were funneled to Beck’s campaign via a church, the Ark by the River.
Ark by the River Fellowship Ministries and its pastor, Janet Combs, were each indicted on nine counts of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, receiving stolen property and money laundering.