What Ohio Officials Are Saying About Larry Householder and Matt Borges Convictions

Gov. Mike DeWine remained silent Thursday as former House Speaker Larry Householder and former Ohio Republican Party chairman Matt Borges were found guilty in the state’s largest corruption case.

A federal jury found Householder and Borges guilty of racketeering conspiracy, which could land them in prison for up to 20 years. Prosecutors said the two were part of a scheme with FirstEnergy to pass a nuclear aid bill known as House Bill 6 in exchange for the $61 million that brought Householder to power in 2019.

More:Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and Former Ohio Republican Party Leader Matt Borges Found Guilty

DeWine declined to comment on the verdict through a spokesperson. Lieutenant Governor John Hasted, when asked about it during a press conference in Independence, said he first heard about the decision from a reporter.

“The justice system usually gets things right,” Hasted said.

Other Ohio politicians were quick to respond.

More:As a witness, Householder argues with a federal prosecutor.

Attorney General Dave Yost

Jost’s name was often mentioned during the trial due to his close relationship with Borges. He was subpoenaed to testify as a potential prosecution witness, but ultimately never had to testify.

“Today, public interest has taken precedence over private interest, the system has worked, and justice has been served,” Yost said.

Democratic Party of Ohio

Ohio Democratic Party Chair Liz Walters said Thursday’s verdict was just the first step in a longer process of bringing Republicans to justice.

“For far too long, Republican politicians and their wealthy, well-connected friends have been able to scam working Ohioans and then make those same working Ohioans pay the bill for GOP misdeeds,” she said. “Today, the Ohioans on the jury made it clear: no one is above the law. But this scandal doesn’t stop at Larry Householder or Matt Borges. This scandal runs deep into the Ohio GOP, and every GOP politician who allowed it to happen or stood for complicity should be held accountable. And that’s what we plan to do.”

Ohio Republican Party

“No party in Ohio should tolerate corruption in society,” said Ohio Republican Party spokesman Dan Luschek. “Hopefully this verdict serves as a warning to other attackers who may be thinking about undermining the public’s trust.”

Former State Rep. Dave Greenspan

Greenspan, a Westlake Republican, called the FBI back in 2019 to report pressure he’s experienced from homeowner and lobbyist Neil Clark to vote for House Bill 6. The former deputy testified during the seven-week trial.

“I hope today’s decision will begin a process of restoring the true nature of public service – recognizing that when someone is an elected official, you have the trust of society and must serve with honor and humility,” Greenspan said on Thursday.

Former State Representative Kyle Koehler

Koehler, who also testified during the trial, said justice had been served and revealed who Householder really was.

“I wouldn’t wish what should happen to Householder to anyone, but with his actions, this guy selfishly ruined or curtailed the careers of several good public servants,” Koehler said. elected. He changed the political landscape in Columbus. It will take years to heal and fix.”

House Minority Leader Allison Russo

Russo, a Democrat from Upper Arlington, said her caucus plans to reintroduce anti-corruption legislation aimed at shedding light on dark money donations.

“Justice has been served today, and it is now closing this chapter on the biggest corruption scandal in Ohio’s history,” Russo said. “However, the problem of unlimited dark money and bribes to play channeled through our political systems undoubtedly remains. We owe it to all Ohioans to uproot those roots forever so that taxpayers are never hooked like this again, and so the government can regain the trust of the people.”

State Representative Brian Stewart

Back in 2021, Stewart led a resolution to remove Householder from the Ohio House. The Asheville Republican said Thursday Householder’s conviction ensures he pays for his crimes against Ohioans.

“The sordid details behind the passage of House Bill 6 should greatly offend every Ohioan, and especially those of us in the Ohio House of Representatives today who are committed to doing the people’s work honestly and with integrity,” Stewart said.

Stewart also tweeted a photo taken by Columbus Dispatch of Householder watching Stewart speak about the resolution on the floor of the House of Representatives.

“Memories,” he said.

David DeVilliers

DeVilliers previously served as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio and filed charges against Householder and Borges in 2021. He was replaced by US Attorney Kenneth Parker when President Joe Biden took office.

“The line between influence peddling and bribery will now be drawn by the rule of law, not by politicians, lobbyists and corporations,” DeVilliers said. wrote on Thursday. “Congratulations to the entire experiment team.”

Common cause Ohio

“This verdict has serious implications for the rest of the country,” said Common Cause Executive Director Katherine Tourser. “Citizens of United may have opened the floodgates for corporate money, but that does not mean that paying to play is legal or correct. The test showed how important basic disclosure is and how important it is to be able to follow the money. Transparency provides fencing so Ohioans can’t take advantage.”

Ohio Environmental Council

Nolan Rutchilling, managing director of energy policy at the Ohio Environmental Protection Council, said the state should now focus on completely repealing House Bill 6. Lawmakers have cut subsidies for nuclear power that were included in the original bill, but much of it remains in place.

“This decision is an important step towards fairness and correcting the wrongs FirstEnergy and other utilities have made with the people of Ohio,” Rootshilling said. their monthly electricity bills, and until the people of Ohio are confident that their legislators and the Ohio Public Utilities Commission are watching over them and not bribing special interests.”

USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau reporter Laura Bischoff contributed.

Hayley Bemiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network’s Ohio bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal, and 18 other affiliated news organizations in Ohio.

This article originally appeared on the Cincinnati Enquirer: House Bill 6 Trial: Ohio Politicians React to Guilty Verdict