Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder Arrested Over $60M Bribery Scandal

The latest incident of a state House speaker involved in an alleged bribery scheme features Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder.

$60 Million in Bribes

The FBI and the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio will soon be announcing what’s going on in the latest public corruption case, which involves a “$60 million bribe to state official & associates,” the Department of Justice said Tuesday.

It was first reported by the Dayton Daily News that FBI agents had showed up at the farm of Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder early Tuesday. Some reports say that Householder and several others were arrested and are currently being in held in custody, although the information hasn’t been confirmed.

Householder – a Republican, has been a state speaker since 2019 and previously from 2001 to 2004. The case reportedly involves House Bill 6 – legislation backed by Householder, which bailed out two nuclear power plants, per the Toledo Blade.

The case of Householder and alleged bribery is one of few in recent years, as longtime Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is being pressured to resign after being linked to a case of alleged bribery, although Madigan has denied any wrongdoing.

Former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was also sentenced to 78 months in prison on Monday due to his involvement in a real estate scheme, as well as money laundering.