Ohio governor calls for state GOP house speaker to resign following bribery charges
There have been rumors that Ohio's House Speaker Larry Householder was planning a GOP primary challenge against the state's Republican Gov. Mike DeWine in 2022. But on Tuesday, DeWine was calling for Householder's resignation after he was arrested amid a major bribery scandal.
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.
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) July 21, 2020
Householder was one of five men, including former Ohio Republican Party chair Matthew Borges, who was charged following a $60 million racketeering and bribery investigation Tuesday. Per The Cincinnati Enquirer, which broke the story, prosecutors described the scandal as one of the largest public corruption cases in Ohio history, and the investigation reportedly isn't over yet.
The speaker, who is considered one of the more ambitious politicians in the state, has been accused of creating an enterprise, Generation Now (which was charged in the case as a corporation), to collect money for him and others involved in the conspiracy to advocate for the bailout of nuclear plants, the Enquirer reports. "This was bribery, plain and simple," said U.S. Attorney David DeVillers. "This was a quid pro quo. This was pay to play." Read more at The Cincinnati Enquirer.
More stories from theweek.com
CNN's Brianna Keilar cuts off live interview with 'lying' Trump campaign official
39 Miami police officers to form mask enforcement unit
Serena Williams' 2-year-old daughter is now the youngest owner in pro sports
