Larry Householder Expelled: How Westlake Lawmaker Voted

Westlake OH

17 June, 2021

12:13 PM

Description

COLUMBUS, OH — Larry Householder was expelled from the Ohio House on Wednesday after a historic vote. The embattled former speaker of the House was voted out by his colleagues, with state representatives voting 75-21 to remove him. All but one of the votes to keep him in the House were from Republicans, though many Republicans also voted to expel Householder. State Rep. Monique Smith, a Democrat from Fairview Park, voted to remove Householder from the assembly. Smith's district encompasses all of Westlake and portions of surrounding cities. "As I voted yes, I thought of all my constituents who fought so hard against the law that his alleged bribery scheme supported. I thought of those who volunteered to collect signatures for a referendum against that law, only to later find out that an army of paid 'blockers' were standing in their way. I thought of that day in 2020 when Mr. Householder was arrested for the largest bribery scheme in Ohio history and how hopeless it felt as a citizen to watch our state and country experience so much corruption under leaders drunk with power," Smith said. "Yesterday's vote was a sad moment for Ohio, but a much-needed step toward finally moving forward and refocusing our efforts on the work of the People." In July 2020, the Department of Justice and FBI accused Householder and his associates of of accepting and overseeing distribution of $61 million in "dark money" to pass a bailout bill for two Ohio nuclear plants. The majority of the money went to advertisements to attack opponents of House Bill 6 and support candidates who would pass the legislation, the investigators said at the time. Despite the public accusation, Householder remained a member of the Ohio House, though he did lose his role as speaker. He has pleaded not guilty to the accusations. Throughout a contentious discussion on Householder's future this week, the embattled representative maintained his innocence and accused his colleagues of condemning him before a verdict had been reached. He repeatedly said he had never accepted or provided a bribe.