Bloomberg Law
July 21, 2020, 9:18 PM

Ohio Lawmaker Arrested in Alleged $61 Million Bribery Scheme (1)

Mark Niquette
Mark Niquette
Bloomberg News
Joe Ryan
Joe Ryan
Bloomberg News

Federal officials said they charged Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and four political associates in a racketeering conspiracy involving almost $61 million in bribes to secure a $1.5 billion bailout of two nuclear power plants now owned by Energy Harbor Corp.

U.S. Attorney David DeVillers, during a press conference Tuesday in Columbus, called the case “likely the largest bribery, money-laundering scheme ever perpetrated against the people of the state of Ohio,” with the Republican speaker and his associates funneling millions to themselves through a nonprofit entity.

The investigation is related to Ohio’s passage last year of a law that bailed ...