Ohio speaker Householder indicted in federal bribery case; title stripped in 90-0 vote
COLUMBUS, Ohio – It’s no longer “Speaker” Larry Householder.
In a bipartisan 90-0 vote, Ohio House members removed the newly indicted Republican from his post of state house speaker. The chamber then recessed as Republicans try to figure out a successor.
Nine members did not vote, including Householder, who was not present. He was arrested last week on racketeering charges, along with four associates.
A federal grand jury indicted Housholder and four others Thursday in what investigators say was a $61 million bribery scheme.
The former state house speaker and four others face racketeering charges for an alleged conspiracy that funneled money from businesses, such as FirstEnergy, through dark money groups and PACs. The aim: elect Householder as speaker, pass a $1.3 billion bailout for two nuclear plants in northern Ohio and defend the subsidies against a referendum to block them.
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Others indicted include:
- Matthew Borges, former Ohio Republican Party chair and consultant;
- Neil Clark, founder of Grant Street Consultants;
- Juan Cespedes, co-founder of The Oxley Group in Columbus;
- Jeffrey Longstreth, adviser to Householder.
- Generation Now, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit linked to Householder and Longstreth.
All are innocent until proven guilty. Each faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
“Dark money is a breeding ground for corruption. This investigation continues,” said Dave DeVillers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District, in a statement.
The announcement came less than an hour before Householder was removed from his position as speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives.
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The search for a replacement
Two Republican men are vying for the big seat on the dais, but it remains unclear whether either of them has the 50 votes needed to win it.
State Rep. Bob Cupp, R-Lima, appeared to be the front runner after three of his competitors dropped out and threw their support behind the former Ohio State Supreme Court justice.
“I am grateful for the support from my esteemed colleagues today,” Cupp said in a statement. “It is imperative that we begin to rebuild public trust in our chamber, and serve the people of Ohio with the integrity they deserve.”
Several lawmakers told The Columbus Dispatch of the USA TODAY Network it’s still possible they will leave Columbus on Thursday without electing a new leader. Householder’s second in command, Speaker Pro Tempore Jim Butler of Oakwood, Ohio, is still in the running for the position.
“I think this is typical Republican foolishness where they are not able to get on one accord, and then the House stands in confusion and the people of Ohio are left in limbo,” Rep. Erica Crawley, D-Columbus, said.
The House went six weeks without a speaker in the spring of 2018 after then-Speaker Cliff Rosenberger resigned because of his own federal investigation for possible extortion, bribery and Travel Act violations.
Traditionally, the majority party picks a speaker no matter how long it takes. Former Speaker Ryan Smith was elected on the 11th ballot after Rosenberger’s departure. But Householder broke the the mold in January 2019 when he got 26 Democrats to put him over the top.
Democrats are unlikely to do that again this time around.
“I don’t think there is a willingness to vote for a Republican,” Rep. Jeff Crossman, D-Parma, said. “It’s left a bad taste in people’s mouths what’s happened.”
He also says Republicans need to call another vote to expel Householder from the chamber as well as remove him as speaker.
“Why wouldn’t we fire the speaker?” Crossman asked. “I think it is unfair to hold our staff accountable to the House’s code of conduct but not our elected officials.”
House Republicans appear reluctant to take that step in part because Householder is running unopposed in the 2020 election and could simply return to the chamber in January. And of course from a legal standpoint he remains innocent until proven guilty.
“My biggest thing around that is due process,” Rep. Paul Zeltwanger, R-Mason, said. “I would like to at least see a day in court for a response.”
Zeltwanger opposed his party’s decision to remove Householder as speaker.
But if he has to pick a new leader, he’s behind Butler. Conservative Republican like Rep. Nino Vitale are also backing Butler, who must leave the chamber after this year due to term limits.
“There is not a lot of honor and decency in Columbus or anywhere in politics, but Jim Butler is indeed, one of the few,” Vitale wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday.
Vitale lamented the fact that most Ohioans won’t know how Republicans pick the next speaker because it will be done using secret ballots during a private meeting.
“The party will then say, no matter who wins, we have to all ‘come together’ and act like we all supported the person who wins the majority in the public vote on the floor,” Vitale wrote. “I am not big on that group think mentality. I believe in total transparency.”
Contributing: Jessie Balmert, Cincinnati Enquirer
Follow reporter Anna Staver on Twitter: @annastaver