(C) Ohio Capital Journal
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Attorney: ex-Ohio Speaker Larry Householder using Trump 'connections’ to try to get out of prison • Ohio Capital Journal [1]
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Date: 2024-11-18
The attorney for former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder said that his team is using the convicted felon’s power — and his connections to President-elect Donald Trump — to get out of prison.
The jury foreman from the speaker’s case is furious, arguing that this is the exact kind of corruption for which Householder was convicted.
Back in 2019, Householder took a $61 million bribe in exchange for legislation to give FirstEnergy a $1 billion bailout, named H.B. 6, all at the expense of the taxpayers.
In March 2023, a jury found that Householder and former GOP leader Matt Borges participated in the racketeering scheme that left four men guilty and another dead by suicide.
In late June of that year, federal Judge Timothy Black sentenced Householder to 20 years in prison. Borges got five years. The two surviving defendants — Jeff Longstreth and Juan Cespedes — are awaiting sentencing after taking plea agreements early on and helping the FBI. The feds are asking for zero to six months for them.
At the end of 2023, former chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, Sam Randazzo, pleaded not guilty after being charged with a dozen crimes related to bribery and embezzlement. He allegedly received more than $4.3 million from FirstEnergy. The utility company has already admitted it bribed everyone.
Then 2024 hit.
Former FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones, former FirstEnergy Senior Vice President Michael Dowling and Randazzo were all hit with state bribery charges. Each pleaded not guilty during their joint arraignment in Akron in mid-February. They are accused of masterminding the corruption scheme.
Randazzo committed suicide in April. He is the second man, out of eight, to take his own life after being connected to the scandal. Neil Clark, a lobbyist accused of bribery, died after pleading not guilty in 2021.
In the summer, OCJ/WEWS uncovered text messages showing that Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted have close ties to the FirstEnergy executives, and Husted helped lead the charge to get H.B. 6 to pass.
Householder is still working his way through the appeals process. He and his attorneys have defended his innocence the entire time.
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[1] Url:
https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2024/11/18/attorney-ex-ohio-speaker-larry-householder-using-trump-connections-to-try-to-get-out-of-prison/
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