Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission Monthly Legislative Update August 2020 Joseph Garrity Director of Government Affairs + Strategic Initiatives (614) 233-4127
[email protected] What’s Happening Ohio House Removes Householder as Speaker and Replaces With Cupp; Major Fallout Ensues Following the shocking announcement that federal racketeering charges were brought against then Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford) and four others in a case described as “likely the largest bribery [and] money laundering scheme ever perpetrated against the people of the state of Ohio” by U.S. Attorney David DeVillers on July 21st, the Ohio House of Representatives swiftly voted to vacate the Office of Speaker and voted to fill the vacancy with veteran lawmaker Rep. Bob Cupp (R-Lima) nine days later. Householder, along with adviser Jeff Longstreth and lobbyists Matt Borges, Juan Cespedes, and Neil Clark, are alleged to have received $60 million to “pass and maintain” House Bill 6 (Callender-Wilkin), a controversial subsidy of FirstEnergy Solutions (FES) that passed last year. The investigation is ongoing, though DeVillers said the announcement marked a shift from a covert to an overt investigation that will see many more subpoenas served and search warrants executed. On July 30th, shortly before the House vote to vacate the Office of Speaker, Householder, Borges, Cespedes, and Clark were indicted on a federal racketeering charge, in addition to the 501(c)(4) organization Generation Now. U.S. Attorney David DeVillers said that the investigation remains ongoing, adding that “dark money is a breeding ground for corruption.” By a unanimous 91-0 vote, the House on July 30th voted to vacate the Office of Speaker.