Ex-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder sentenced to maximum 20 years

In one of the largest corruption cases in Ohio history, former state House Speaker Larry Householder was sentenced Thursday to the maximum 20 years in prison for orchestrating a nearly $60 million illegal bribery scheme that fueled his return to political power.

Once one of the most powerful politicians in Ohio, Householder is now a convicted felon, guilty of racketeering conspiracy and breaking the public's trust.

“Beyond financial greed, I think you just liked power," U.S. District Judge Timothy Black said before sentencing Householder. "You weren't serving the people. You were serving yourself."

Black denied a request that the Perry County Republican be allowed to report to prison. Instead, two U.S. Marshals handcuffed Householder behind his back and escorted him out of court with his family watching from the front row.

Householder expressed no remorse for leading an extensive bribery scheme at the Ohio Statehouse but instead focused on the harm a prison sentence would impose on his relatives and loved ones. "I would give my life in a heartbeat for my wife and any of my sons," he said.

When Householder's attorney Steven Bradley made a similar argument right before the sentencing, Black interrupted: “The harm to his family was caused by him, not by the court."

Householder, former Ohio Republican Party chairman Matt Borges and three other men were charged with participating in a pay-to-play scheme that helped Householder win control of the Ohio House of Representatives in 2018, pass a $1.3 billion bailout for two nuclear plants in House Bill 6 and defend that law against a ballot initiative to block it.

"You know better than most people how much that money could have meant to the people of Ohio,” Black said of the $1.3 billion bailout. “How many lives could you have improved but you took that away from the people of Ohio and you handed it over to a bunch of suits with private jets."

Federal prosecutors had asked Black to impose a prison sentence between 16 and 20 years. Householder's attorneys requested between a year and a year-and-a-half in prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Glatfelter emphasized the importance of deterring future politicians from repeating Householder's actions. "Sentencing will communicate to the public that the rule of law applies to everyone in this country, including politicians."

Bradley argued that the damage to Householder's reputation would deter plenty of politicians.

"He is a disgraced politician and has been dragged through the mud in the media for three years," Bradley said. "The subject of ridicule, hatred in many respects."

U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker said "Today we witnessed justice for Ohio. Justice for Ohio. (We) showed that if you're going to stand up and say that you're a public servant in this state, you have to be a true public servant, not an imposter."

Householder's wife and son declined to comment after the sentencing.

A jury found Householder and Borges guilty in early March. Householder's former political strategist Jeff Longstreth and lobbyist Juan Cespedes pleaded guilty three months after they were arrested in July 2020. Both testified against their former associates in the federal corruption trial earlier this year and face up to six months in prison as part of their plea deals.

Former lobbyist Neil Clark, who had pleaded not guilty, died by suicide in March 2021.

Akron-based FirstEnergy, which bankrolled much of the operation along with its subsidiary FirstEnergy Solutions, admitted in July 2021 that it bribed Householder and another public official: ex-Public Utilities Commission of Ohio leader Sam Randazzo. The company agreed to a $230 million fine. Randazzo, who has not been charged, says he did nothing wrong.

It's not clear whether federal prosecutors will file charges against anyone else in this case.

Who is Larry Householder?

Householder, 64, of Glenford, twice led the Ohio House of Representatives with charisma and careful calculation. The insurance agent, county auditor and commissioner grew up on his family farm in Perry County, which he represented at the Statehouse along with Licking and Coshocton counties east of Columbus.

Householder was the underdog both times he sought the top position in the Ohio House of Representatives, ousting politicians who were better connected and better funded. The FBI investigated Householder during the tail end of his first stint as speaker in 2004 for suspected kickbacks, but he was never charged.

Householder returned to the Ohio House in 2016 with his eye on the speaker's gavel. He flew on a FirstEnergy jet to former President Donald Trump's inauguration in Washington, D.C., in January 2017 and shortly after, the corporate checks started flowing to Householder's dark money group called Generation Now.

Generation Now helped elect GOP candidates loyal to Householder, pitch the nuclear bailout in House Bill 6 and bankroll a sophisticated campaign to defend the law against a ballot initiative to block it in 2019. Householder and his allies also collected dark money checks to pay for a term-limit effort that could have given Householder another 16 years in control of the Ohio House.

"(Householder) acted as the quintessential mob boss, directing the criminal enterprise from the shadows and using his casket carriers to execute the scheme," federal prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo. "This allowed him what he thought was plausible deniability for the crimes committed at his direction."

During the trial, witnesses detailed Householder's vengeful behavior. In secretly recorded conversations, Householder promised retribution on two GOP lawmakers: "If you're going to f--k with me, I'm going to f--k with your kids."

“When people disagreed with you, which is par for the course in politics, you didn’t try to compromise or reach resolutions or build bridges, you took it as a declaration of war,” Black said when sentencing Householder Thursday. “Bottom line: You were a bully with a lust for power who thought he was above everyone else.”

During sentencing, Black said that Householder lied on the witness stand about his whereabouts during the 2017 Washington, D.C., trip, his interactions with FirstEnergy executives and his control over the dark money group Generation Now.

“You conned the people of Ohio, and you tried to con the jury too,” Black said.

Householder's predecessor, former Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, wanted to address the judge as a crime victim harmed by Householder's quest for power. But Black rejected that request, saying there was no evidence that Householder's scheme directly harmed Rosenberger and led to Rosenberger's 2018 resignation amid an FBI probe into his conduct.

What comes next?

Householder's attorneys plan to appeal his conviction, raising concerns about whether their client was given a fair shake in Black's courtroom. Householder's attorneys accused Black of harboring a longstanding grudge against Householder from when Black ran unsuccessfully for Ohio Supreme Court as a Democrat.

Parker said he's confident the conviction will be upheld.

Borges is scheduled to be sentenced Friday morning. No date has been set for the sentencing of the remaining two collaborators: Longstreth and Cespedes.

Parker declined to discuss if or when more criminal charges will be brought against others involved in the scheme. But he acknowledged that the case is ongoing.

"We continue to look for evidence and we continue to listen to recordings and speak to individuals," Parker said. "So, we're going to go if there's something there."

Jessie Balmert is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ex-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder sentenced to maximum 20 years