Former US Lawmaker Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for $60 Million Bribery Scheme
Former Ohio House of Representatives Speaker Larry Householder has been sentenced to 20 years in prison following his conviction earlier this year for participating in a $60 million bribery scheme, according to prosecutors. Householder’s sentencing took place on Thursday.
In March, a federal jury found Larry Householder and former Ohio Republican Party chair Mathew Borges guilty of their involvement in the bribery scheme. The charges against Householder and Borges were filed in 2020 as part of a federal bribery case related to a bill passed in 2019, aimed at bailing out Ohio’s nuclear power plants. It was alleged that Householder and Borges received industry funds for lobbying purposes. Federal prosecutors deemed this case as the largest corruption scandal in the state’s history. In 2021, the legislature repealed the bill.
Following his arrest in 2020, Householder was removed from the speakership position by a vote from the Ohio House of Representatives.
Prosecutors asserted that energy distributor FirstEnergy (FE.N) provided $60 million to Generation Now, a political nonprofit led by Householder. These funds were utilized for lobbying efforts that ultimately secured the passage of the $1.5 billion bill in 2019, as per prosecutors’ claims.
Larry Householder and Borges were found guilty of participating in a racketeering conspiracy. Borges is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday.
In 2021, FirstEnergy reached an agreement to pay $230 million to settle charges brought by the U.S. government in connection with this case. The company acknowledged making substantial payments to state officials in order to advance legislation pertaining to nuclear subsidies and other policies that would be advantageous to its interests.
