Shortly after Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder was charged in a $60 million bribery scheme, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine called on Householder to resign.
“I am deeply concerned about the allegations of wrongdoing in the issued today by the U.S. Attorney’s Office," DeWine said. "Every American has the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. Because of the nature of these charges, it will be impossible for Speaker Householder to effectively lead the Ohio House of Representatives; therefore, I am calling on Speaker Householder to resign immediately.
"This is a sad day for Ohio."
RELATED: Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, 4 others, arrested in $60 million federal bribery case
On Tuesday, Householder and four others were arrested and charged in what U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio David DeVillers called "the largest bribery case ever in Ohio."
The case alleges that the defendants received more than $60 million paid to 501(c)(4) Generation Now to pass and uphold a billion-dollar nuclear plant bailout and that the defendants corruptly used the $60 million to promote Householder, pass House Bill 6, and defeat a ballot initiative to overturn the legislation. House Bill 6 bailed out Ohio's two fledgling nuclear power plants (including the Perry Nuclear Generating Station in Lake County).
Householder pushed hard for the bill's passage and offered praise when it narrowly cleared the General Assembly last July over the objections of even several of his Republican colleagues.
The other four defendants along with Householder and Generation Now are:
- Jeffrey Longstreth, advisor to Householder
- Neil Clark, longtime Statehouse lobbyist
- Matthew Borges, former Ohio Republican Party Chairman
- Juan Cespedes, co-founder of The Oxley Group, a Columbus-based consulting firm