Former Republican Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder immediately contradicted FBI testimony in his corruption trial Wednesday, taking the stand for the primary time to disclaim attending a chain of swanky dinners in Washington, D.C. the place prosecutors have alleged he and bosses of Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. hatched a $60 million bribery scheme in 2017.
Householder, 63, appeared comfy and assured right through his first day of testimony, environment the degree by way of describing his lifetime lived in one rural Ohio county, his early political-underdog days and his emerging trail to change into speaker. His spouse of 38 years, Taundra, sat going through him from the gallery.
The trial is in its 5th week prior to a jury and U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Black in Cincinnati.
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Householder and Matt Borges, 50, a lobbyist and previous Ohio Republican Party chair, had been charged with conspiracy to take part in a racketeering endeavor involving bribery and cash laundering. Federal prosecutors allege Householder managed a scheme, secretly funded by way of FirstEnergy, to elect allies, win the speakership, go a $1 billion nuclear plant bailout and that Borges sought to bribe an operative for within knowledge at the referendum to overturn it. Both have pleaded now not accountable and deal with their innocence. Each faces as much as twenty years in jail if convicted.
Householder informed jurors that he invented the tactic of recruiting huge numbers of like-minded Republican House applicants and putting in place dear operations to assist all of them get elected directly, requiring the elevating of enormous sums of cash. But he denied not easy loyalty oaths from his recruits or extracting guarantees to vote a definite method.
“I really looked for people who are independent-minded,” he stated.
Three of Householder’s former caucus contributors testified final week that he burdened them to vote for the invoice, and texts had been introduced wherein Householder gave the impression to categorical anger at disloyalty.
Associate Jeff Longstreth, amongst 4 different folks and a depressing cash team charged within the scheme, had testified for the prosecution that Householder sought after “casket carriers,” other folks so dependable they’d elevate his casket at the day of his funeral. Householder informed jurors “casket carriers” had been simply buddies, and {that a} long-time flesh presser like him does not want anymore enemies.
Former Republican Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder denied web hosting a chain of swanky dinners the place a bribery scheme used to be allegedly conceived. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)
In some other denial of earlier allegations, Householder stated he by no means granted Statehouse superlobbyist Neil Clark, a co-defendent who died by way of suicide in 2021, a “proxy” to behave on his behalf. The former speaker guffawed on the recommendation.
“I don’t give up my right to speak for myself,” he stated.
Clark used to be taped describing himself as Householder’s “proxy” whilst talking to 2 undercover FBI brokers posing as builders. He went on to explain intimately Householder’s use of darkish cash teams to hide marketing campaign contributions. Householder’s legal professionals have stated Clark exaggerated.
Perhaps the day’s maximum placing alternate used to be when Householder described his commute to Republican President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2017. He recounted flying to Washington on a FirstEnergy aircraft, then defined his weekend actions intimately — picture alternatives, cocktail events, balls, parades, a live performance along with his son and pizza with a spouse “addicted” to it.
Missing from the account had been a number of dinners, which previous paperwork had proven had been organized by way of Longstreth, head of the darkish cash Generation Now, to contain then-FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones, Vice President Michael Dowling and others. Householder stated he had now not attended such a dinners. He stated he noticed Jones at the aircraft flights to and from the inaugural, after which during the weekend most effective at a “packed” space birthday party hosted by way of media guide Rex Elsass and possibly another time in passing. Asked if he attended the dinners, Householder merely stated, “No” or “I was not.”
Earlier within the trial, FBI Agent Blane Wetzel had walked thru inside paperwork from each Generation Now and FirstEnergy, telephone information, emails and different paperwork indicating Jones, Dowling and Householder had been a part of a birthday party of 8 that met 3 times in D.C. over Trump’s inaugural weekend.
FORMER OHIO HOUSE SPEAKER LARRY HOUSEHOLDER’S $60M BRIBERY TRIAL TO BEGIN NEXT WEEK
It used to be about two weeks later that Longstreth opened a checking account for Generation Now, wherein FirstEnergy admitted in an settlement to steer clear of prosecution to pushing hundreds of thousands of bribes aimed toward getting the bailout invoice handed. The identical day, Longstreth emailed Dowling “wiring instructions” for FirstEnergy to position cash within the account. Regular $250,000 started flowing.
Longstreth and Generation Now have pleaded accountable to their portions within the bribery scheme, as has a 3rd particular person, Juan Cespedes, who testified final week. Clark had pleaded now not accountable.
Cross-examination of Householder had now not but begun at day’s finish Wednesday.
Earlier within the day, Statehouse lobbyist Robert Klaffky testified to being provide at a gathering the place a $400,000 test from his shopper, FirstEnergy Solutions, used to be given to Householder in an envelope. Klaffky stated he may now not take into accout what used to be stated on the assembly, however that he used to be positive he had now not witnessed pay-to-play.
Klaffky stated he used to be already a Householder insider and adviser prior to taking over FirstEnergy Solutions, a subsidiary that owned the 2 nuclear crops, as a consumer — and short of him to win the speakership.
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Borges’ lawyer, Karl Schneider, stated he anticipated his shopper additionally to take the stand.
