The Ohio House finally
expelled Larry Householder long after after the former House Speaker had been
indicted on bribery charges involving passage of HB6. [PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.cleveland.com/darcy/2021/06/householder-eviction-darcy-cartoon.html] |
Those who allow violent
criminals the opportunity to kill, maim and rape, share the responsibility for
it and the tragedy such crimes produce. More, they allow these monsters to
create for all of us a world as dark and evil as their own. [PHOTO SOURCE: https://quozio.com/quote/3wrd9cs77z9g/1269/those-who-allow-violent-criminals-the-opportunity-to-kill] |
On July 21, 2020, the FBI arrested Householder and four others in
connection with a $60 million bribery case involving the financial
rescue of First Energy's two nuclear plants in Ohio, Davis–Besse and Perry. U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers called it "likely the
largest bribery scheme ever perpetrated against the state of Ohio". During
a July 21 press briefing, DeVillers said that money from First Energy was
filtered through a fake nonprofit organization to pay for bribes and
evade campaign finance laws.
Following DeVillers's press conference, Republican Governor Mike
DeWine asked Householder to resign. Later that day, Householder released a
statement to the press saying he would not resign. The Ohio House of
Representatives voted unanimously to remove Householder as Ohio House speaker
on July 30, 2020.
While Householder was reelected to his seat in the Ohio House of Representatives in November 2020, the House voted on June 16, 2021 to expel him by a bipartisan vote of 75–21.
In 2019, Larry Householder said: “I think I am probably like most Ohioans, there was a time that I was extremely supportive of the death penalty. But, as time has gone on, I have become less and less supportive because of the cost, for one. It is extremely expensive to put someone to death in lieu of keeping them in life in prison. And, also, it’s becoming more and more difficult to do an execution … we’ve gone from electrocution to lethal injection, now there are issues being raised about lethal injection. It’s just become more and more difficult to do and it’s more and more expensive.” [source: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/news/ohio-house-speaker-expresses-doubts-about-death-penalty-as-opioid-experts-ohio-governor-blast-call-to-use-seized-fentanyl-for-executions]
We will post
some news sources before giving our comments on Larry Householders and other
politicians who make life difficult for murder victims’ families on putting a
price tag on justice.
Larry Householder out: Ohio House votes to remove former speaker
Jessie
Balmert Laura A.
Bischoff Anna
Staver
COLUMBUS – Lawmakers in the GOP-controlled Ohio House removed Rep. Larry Householder from the chamber, ousting the former leader in a 75-21 vote Wednesday.
After
a brilliant political comeback to lead the Ohio House of Representatives,
Householder leaves his beloved chamber under the cloud of a federal indictment for the
second time.
Larry
Householder:A timeline deep dive inside
HB 6 and the biggest government scandal in Ohio state history
Householder
maintains his innocence: "They say the truth will set you free. I
look forward to it."
Householder's
now-former colleagues utilized a little-used provision in the Ohio
Constitution that allows lawmakers to police their own for disorderly conduct.
The last legislator removed in this way was Hamilton County Rep.
John P. Slough in 1857 for punching another representative.
Even getting the resolution to the floor for a vote was a monumental effort that eked by with one vote. Ultimately, he was removed by 42 fellow Republicans and 33 Democrats. One Democrat, Rep. Joe Miller of Amherst, and 20 Republicans opposed the resolution.
The expulsion came after months of inaction and Householder steadfastly refusing to resign despite the pleas of top Republicans and Democrats.
"This has been going on long enough," said Rep. Mark Fraizer, R-Newark. "It is time for this to come to a conclusion."Timeline:The rise and fall of Ohio
Rep. Larry Householder
Householder, 62, of Glenford,
was arrested last July in connection with the state's largest bribery
scheme. Householder is accused of orchestrating a nearly $61 million
operation to win control of the Ohio House, pass a $1 billion bailout for two
nuclear plants in northern Ohio and defend that law against a ballot initiative
to block it.
Householder
has pleaded not guilty to the offense. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in
prison.
In
a nearly two-hour hearing
Tuesday, Householder fought for his political life, repeatedly asserting
his innocence without going into details on the federal case against him. He
repeated those assertions on the House floor.
But Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, said the allegations against Householder – that legislation can be bought for a price in Ohio – are an embarrassment to the honor of Ohio House. He and Fraizer sponsored House Resolution 69 to remove Householder.
“No one can believe he’s still here. Being here is a privilege, not a right," Stewart said. “The real conservatives I know don’t stand for corruption.”Speaker
Bob Cupp, R-Lima, voted to remove Householder from office.
"For me, the deciding factor was the unethical conduct reached
such a level that a federal grand jury found that there was probable cause that
it was a crime,”
Cupp said. "It seems to me that clearly meets the
definition in the Ohio Constitution of disorderly conduct."
Householder's expulsion lasts for the remainder of the two-year legislative session; he could run again. But Cupp said he doesn't think Householder can appeal the House's resolution.
"The law is pretty clear that this is really the final decision
here,"
Cupp said. House Republicans will choose Householder's replacement.
Editorial cartoon: Ohio
House Republicans and Larry Householder [PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/opinion/cartoons/2021/03/18/editorial-cartoon-ohio-republicans-havent-ejected-larry-householder/4746356001/] |
A
House divided by Larry Householder
Householder's
presence fractured an already divided House. Democrats blamed Republicans for protecting
one of their own for months despite a damning indictment. Republicans were
quick to point out that Householder would have never been elected speaker
without the minority party's support.
More: 'In a league of its
own': Ohio is No.1 state when it comes to public corruption, experts say
Lawmakers unanimously removed
Householder as their leader shortly after his arrest, but the Republican
legislator has refused to resign from his seat, which represents Perry,
Coshocton and Licking counties.
Householder
and his allies, most vocally Green Township
Rep. Bill Seitz, argued that Householder should remain in office while
the case against him is prosecuted.
"There
is no evidence against Larry Householder, only allegations," Seitz said.
"Serious allegations to be sure."
"We do not get to choose who represents someone else's
district,"
said Rep. Nino Vitale, R-Urbana, before comparing Ohio to communist countries.
"We're going to kick someone out of a duly elected office because they are
accused, suspected of doing something."
However,
Householder's name was the only one listed on the ballot because his arrest
came after the filing deadline. Several write-in candidates had little support
and little chance of winning.
After months of waiting, Ohio lawmakers ultimately decided to expel one of their own.
"Make no mistake, there is no joy in seeing a former Ohio
speaker removed from office in disgrace, but this is our opportunity to stand
against corruption and to turn a page on this dark chapter in Ohio history and
begin to rebuild the People’s trust in a government that’s supposed to work for
them," said
House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes, D-Akron. She encouraged lawmakers to start
over on House Bill 6 at the heart of the federal investigation.
"Ohioans know what is right and what is wrong," Crossman said. "They expect us to be able to tell the difference as
well."
Jessie
Balmert, Anna Staver and Laura Bischoff are reporters for the USA TODAY Network
Ohio Bureau, which serves the Akron Beacon Journal, Cincinnati Enquirer,
Columbus Dispatch and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.
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