Householder Pleads Not Guilty in a $60 Million Bribery Scheme

Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder of Glenford entered a not guilty plea Thursday in a $60 million nuclear bailout racketeering case. He appeared via video in U.S District Court in Cincinnati.

It is alleged that Household conspired to violate the racketeering statute through honest services wire fraud, receipt of millions of dollars in bribes and money laundering.

 Four other individuals were also arrested and charged and have already entered not guilty pleas in the case.

According to the 80-page criminal complaint from March 2017 to March 2020, the enterprise received millions of dollars in exchange for Householder’s and the enterprise’s help in passing House Bill 6, a billion-dollar bailout that saved two failing, Ohio nuclear power plants from closing.

The defendants then also allegedly worked to corruptly ensure that HB 6 went into effect by defeating a ballot initiative to overturn the legislation. The enterprise received approximately $60 million into Generation Now from an energy company and its affiliates during the relevant period.