Credit: Provide
Credit: Provide
“The vote to expel a member from the Ohio House was something surely none of us wanted to do, but Householder’s misconduct and allegations of serious corruption have no place in the Ohio House,” he said. “We as elected members are held to a higher standard and our actions are measured each and every day.”
Householder, a Republican from Glenford, is accused with others of a $60 million pay-to-play bribery scheme. The FBI claims the scheme was to get pro-Householder legislators elected, elect Householder as speaker, push an energy bailout bill (what became House Bill 6), and defend it from a referendum attempt.
House Bill 6 removed renewable energy standards and energy efficiency programs while providing subsidies for Akron-based Energy Harbor (formerly FirstEnergy Solutions) to keep a pair of nuclear power plants open, and smaller subsidies for coal-fired plants owned by Ohio Valley Electric Corp.
Householder was unanimously removed from his speakership last summer, though there were calls for his resignation from office. He was reelected in November when he was the only name on the ballot, though there were write-in candidates running against him.
Of the 21 Republicans who voted to keep Householder in office, some of whom supported him in his 2019 bid to be House speaker, they said the judicial process should run its course.
State Rep. Sara Carruthers, R-Hamilton, voted to keep Householder in office, and has “concerns about the process and the precedent that has been set.”
Credit: Provided
Credit: Provided
“Today (Wednesday), the Ohio House of Representatives voted to expel a member of the legislature who has been elected by their constituents to serve them in Columbus — an individual accused but not convicted of a crime. This was done following one committee hearing and a suspension of the House rules,” she said in a statement. “I believe all Americans are innocent until proven guilty.”
State Rep. Jennifer Gross, R-West Chester Twp., also voted against House Resolution 69, the legislation to expel Householder.
“I do not believe HR 69 met the statutory definition of disorderly conduct, nor are allegations sufficient to overcome the rule of law that you are innocent until proven guilty,” she said. “The proper remedy is impeachment, which would require an impeachment trial with witnesses and evidence.”
Hall said though the judicial system will ultimately determine Householder’s innocence or guilt, he “voted to remove Householder in order to preserve the integrity of the People’s House. Now that the vote is done, I hope we can move forward together and continue on the work that we have started this General Assembly.”
The last time an Ohio lawmaker was removed was in 1857 when then-Ohio lawmaker John P. Slough, of Cincinnati ― who went on to be a union brigadier general in the Civil War ― was expelled after he punched a fellow legislator.
Householder remained defiant and proclaimed his innocence in a House floor speech prior to the 75-21 vote.
“I have not, nor have I ever, taken a bribe or solicited or been solicited for taking a bribe,” he said.
Reporting from the Associated Press is included in this story.
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