Larry Householder Appeals 20-Year Prison Sentence in Corruption Case as Former Ohio House Speaker

By Jinely On Jul 13, 2023

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This comes following Larry Householder‘s conviction in the largest corruption scandal in the state’s history.

Larry Householder, the former Ohio House Speaker, has lodged an appeal against his 20-year prison sentence

Larry Householder’s appeal was expected, with federal prosecutors seeking a sentence of 16 to 20 years, while Larry Householder’s defense team requested 12 to 18 months, citing the emotional toll the case had taken on him.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Black, who presided over the trial, took Larry Householder’s lack of remorse into account when imposing the sentence. Rather than expressing regret, Larry Householder focused on the impact his imprisonment would have on his family and friends. The trial, which lasted seven weeks, resulted in a jury finding Larry Householder guilty of orchestrating a $60 million bribery scheme, funded by FirstEnergy Corp., an Akron-based utility company.

The scheme aimed to consolidate Larry Householder’s power, secure the election of his allies, and pass a $1.3 billion nuclear plant bailout while suppressing a referendum to overturn the associated law through a dirty tricks campaign

Another individual implicated in the scheme, lobbyist Matt Borges, the former chair of the Ohio Republican Party, was also convicted and received a minimum sentence of five years in prison. Borges has until Thursday to decide whether to appeal.

Larry Householder, once considered one of Ohio’s most influential politicians, was arrested in 2021. Despite being expelled from the chamber in a historic vote, he refused to resign for nearly a year following his indictment. The investigation into the bribery scheme remains ongoing, and further charges may be brought against former FirstEnergy executives and the former head of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, who were implicated in the scandal.