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Federal prosecutors seek a 16-20 year sentence for former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Federal prosecutors are recommending former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder be sentenced to 16-20 years in prison when he appears in a federal court next week.

Larry Householder, former Ohio House speaker, walks into the Potter Stewart U.S. Court House in Cincinnati on Jan. 23, 2023.
Larry Householder, former Ohio House speaker, walks into the Potter Stewart U.S. Court House in Cincinnati on Jan. 23, 2023. [Andy Chow | Statehouse News Bureau]
In documents filed with the U.S. District Court where Householder was convicted of bribery and racketeering in a $61 billion energy scandal, federal prosecutors argued the lengthy sentence is consistent with sentences imposed for similar crimes, and “will communicate to the public that the rule of law applies to everyone, including prominent public officials.”

“Householder was the mastermind and leader of a criminal enterprise responsible for one of the largest public corruption conspiracies in Ohio history. The scope of the conspiracy was unprecedented – approximately $60 million over a three-year period,” the memo states. “So was the damage it left in its wake, both in terms of its potential financial harm to Ohioans and its erosion of public trust.”

In response, Householder’s attorneys argued their client is a broken man who has been “humiliated and disgraced.” They say Householder didn’t personally benefit from the scheme and the half million dollars he received during that time was a loan from a colleague.

Former Ohio Republican Party Chair Matt Borges was also convicted in the scheme, but sentencing recommendations for him have not yet been filed.