Larry Householder was one of the driving forces behind a financial rescue for Ohio’s two nuclear power plants, which appeared to be tied to several targets of the investigation.
The powerful Republican speaker of the Ohio House and four other people were arrested Tuesday in a $60 million federal bribery investigation, CBS News has confirmed. The FBI raided the legislative leader’s rural farm, a person briefed on the matter told the Associated Press. Speaker Larry Householder was one of the driving forces behind a roughly $1 billion financial rescue for Ohio’s two nuclear power plants, which appeared to be tied to several targets of the investigation. The legislation added a new fee to every electricity bill in the state and directed over $150 million a year through 2026 to the plants near Cleveland and Toledo. Prosecutors would not discuss details of the case. U. S. Attorney David DeVillers‘ office planned to hold a news conference later in the day. Also arrested were Householder adviser Jeffrey Longstreth, longtime Statehouse lobbyist Neil Clark, former Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matthew Borges and Juan Cespedes, co-founder of The Oxley Group, a Columbus-based consulting firm, CBS News confirmed. Authorities were also seeking a sixth suspect, the AP reported. Previous attempts to bail out the nuclear plants had stalled in the Legislature before Householder became speaker.
