Householder indicted as Ohio House removes him as Speaker
COLUMBUS (WCMH) — Larry Householder was removed as Ohio Speaker of the House Thursday, less than an hour after he was indicted by an federal Grand Jury. The vote to remove Householder was unanimous, with 9 members voting absent. The indictment accuses Larry Householder, Jeffrey Longstreth, Neil Clark, Matthew Borges, Juan Cespedes and Generation Now […]
COLUMBUS (WCMH) — Larry Householder was removed as Ohio Speaker of the House Thursday, less than an hour after he was indicted by an federal Grand Jury.
The vote to remove Householder was unanimous, with 9 members voting absent.
The indictment accuses Larry Householder, Jeffrey Longstreth, Neil Clark, Matthew Borges, Juan Cespedes and Generation Now of Rico Conspiracy, in connection with an alleged $60 million bribery scheme involving the passage of 2019’s House Bill 6. The bill included a billion-dollar bailout for two failing nuclear power plants.
The Republican caucus met Tuesday for the first time since Householder’s arrest.
House Republicans issued a statement Tuesday evening saying they will consider a resolution to remove Householder on Thursday.
The resolution to remove Householder as Speaker would require 50 votes to be adopted. It would take effect immediately upon passage.
“The decision by House Republicans today to proceed with removing Larry Householder as Speaker reflects the reality that while he is entitled to his day in court and a presumption of innocence until proven guilty, it has become abundantly clear that he has lost the trust of his colleagues and the public, and is unable to effectively lead this chamber.
“Today begins a new chapter for the Ohio House of Representatives. Our first priority is restoring trust and confidence in the institution. We and our colleagues look forward to working with Governor DeWine and our colleagues in the Ohio Senate on real solutions to lay the foundation for economic renewal and a brighter future for all Ohioans.”
SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE JIM BUTLER (R-OAKWOOD), MAJORITY FLOOR LEADER BILL SEITZ (R-CINCINNATI), DEVITIS, MAJORITY WHIP JAY EDWARDS (R-NELSONVILLE) AND ASSISTANT MAJORITY WHIP LAURA LANESE (R-GROVE CITY):