CLEVELAND, Ohio – Gov. Mike DeWine called on Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder to resign following a federal criminal complaint targeting Householder for taking $60 million in bribes.
Householder, top aide Jeff Longstreth and lobbyists Matt Borges, Neil Clark and Juan Cespedes were charged with racketeering on Tuesday as part of the criminal complaint. The Department of Justice alleges Householder and the others took $60 million in bribes to help power company First Energy obtain a $1.3 billion bailout for aging nuclear power plants.
DeWine, who aided in passing the bailout and signed the bill into law, described Householder’s arrest as a “sad day for Ohio” before calling for his resignation.
“I am deeply concerned about the allegations of wrongdoing in the issued today by the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” DeWine said in a statement. “Every American has the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. Because of the nature of these charges, it will be impossible for Speaker Householder to effectively lead the Ohio House of Representatives; therefore, I am calling on Speaker Householder to resign immediately.”
Listen to a special episode of our This Week in the CLE podcast about the corruption case here.
A number of other state officials and party leaders from both sides of the aisle also issued statements calling for Householder’s resignation.
Attorney General Dave Yost, a Columbus Republican:
"Larry Householder sold out the people of Ohio in exchange for power and dirty money. The 81-page sworn affidavit filed today shows plainly he cannot be trusted to act in the public interest, or trusted with public authority.
"He is entitled to a presumption of innocence regarding the criminality of his acts, but he is entitled to no presumption of continuance in office. He should resign immediately. If he refuses, the House should eject him under Article II, section 6 of the Ohio Constitution."
Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Hudson Republican:
“There is important work for the state legislature to do on behalf of the people of Ohio. That work can’t get done with the Speaker under arrest in an ongoing federal investigation.
@HouseholderOH, do the right thing for the people of our state and resign today.”
There is important work for the state legislature to do on behalf of the people of Ohio. That work can’t get done with the Speaker under arrest in an ongoing federal investigation.@HouseholderOH, do the right thing for the people of our state and resign today.
— Frank LaRose (@FrankLaRose) July 21, 2020
Senate President Larry Obhof, a Medina Republican:
“The allegations made today are very detailed, they are very serious, and they are very troubling to me, and undoubtedly, to the people of Ohio. Every member of the Ohio legislature has a sacred trust with the citizens of this state, and the people deserve the honest services of their elected representatives. “The seriousness and gravity of the allegations cast a dark shadow over the People’s House. It is clear that he cannot continue to lead the Ohio House of Representatives. He should resign.”
U.S. Rep. Troy Balderson, a Zanesville Republican:
“Today is a sad day in Ohio. I have always believed that holding public office is a high honor and should be treated as such. The allegations against Speaker Larry Householder appear to be significant. If true, they are shocking and serve as evidence that he violated the public’s trust and federal law. He should resign immediately.”
U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, a Toledo Democrat:
“Sadly, this situation appears to be very serious. It bodes poorly for Ohio. There is much to be learned in the coming days about the latest apparent pay-to-play scheme in the Ohio State House. Ohioans deserve honest and visionary leadership. The arrest of the Republican Speaker of the Ohio House and the former Chairman of the Ohio Republican Party (Borges) undermines public confidence and underscores the corrosive impact money has on our politics. While these matters are adjudicated, Ohioans should demand a top to bottom reform of Ohio’s ethics and campaign finance system to put an end to pay-to-play in the Buckeye State.”
Ohio Republican Party Chair Jane Timken:
“I understand and respect the presumption of innocence. All charges filed must be proved in court. These are basic legal rights. However, there is no right to hold public office. This is a privilege extended by the people of Ohio to officeholders. It’s a higher calling and requires a higher level of responsibility. That’s why I’m calling on Larry Householder to step down as Speaker of the House and resign as a legislator.
“...As a party that prides itself in leading the right way, the political elite have failed too often by allowing these corrupt and shameful individuals to have a place in our party. All Republicans need to take a hard look at who they surround themselves with and root out this type of corruption and greed from our party.”
Ohio Democratic Party Chair David Pepper:
“The revelations contained in today’s criminal complaint against the Republican Speaker of the House and his associates tell the tale of conspirators who have been at this for a long time and know how to evade accountability for their corrupt actions. That’s because, for decades, the culture of Columbus and the Ohio Statehouse under GOP leadership is fundamentally one of corruption, kickbacks and pay-to-play.
“...Given what was revealed in today’s complaint and the taint of corruption over Ohio legislative activity, we believe Speaker Householder should step down from leadership immediately as he avails himself of his due process rights. Our greatest hope for Ohio is that those officials who have defrauded the taxpayers and abused the people’s trust finally have a moment of accountability, whether that comes from the legal system or at the ballot box this November.”
Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes, an Akron Democrat:
“This is a sad day for Ohio. As Ohioans are grappling with a public health and economic crisis like we haven’t seen in generations, this is an unnecessary distraction from the very important business facing our citizens. Because of this, we demand the immediate resignation of Larry Householder as Speaker of the House and implore our Republican colleagues to announce a new leader for this body as soon as possible. We cannot let this situation distract us from the important work that needs to get done.
“There’s no enjoyment in today’s news which will no doubt lead to the further deterioration of the public’s trust in our institutions.”
The shocking news of the impending criminal charges against Householder started this morning as FBI officials raided his property in Perry County. Householder, Longstreth, Borges, Clark and Cespedes all appeared in front of a federal court in the afternoon.
They were released without bond, though were required to turn over their firearms. Their travel will be restricted to the Southern District of Ohio’s boundaries, which covers most of the state from the Columbus area to Cincinnati.
Not all Ohio elected officials called for Householder’s resignation. U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, a Marietta Republican, issued a statement calling the charges against Householder and his allies “very serious,” but added that the U.S. Justice Department should “go after those who perpetrated the Russian Collusion hoax.”
“We can’t have a two-tiered system of justice - one for Republicans and another for Democrats,” Johnson stated. “We’re still waiting.”