Unlike others, House GOP leaders balk at calling for Householder resignation

Larry Householder statehouse bribery case

From the top elected leaders of his own party to the Democratic opposition, calls are cascading for the immediate resignation of Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder.

However, Householder’s leading Republican colleagues in the Ohio House stopped short of joining Gov. Mike DeWine and others in demanding Householder’s departure on late Tuesday afternoon following the filing of federal criminal charges.

“We were shocked to learn of the charges … We are reviewing the allegations. To our knowledge, no other member of the Ohio General Assembly is under investigation in connection with these allegations. We have not been in contact with Speaker Householder today. Due to the pending investigation, we cannot comment further at this time,” the House GOP leadership team said in a statement.

The statement was issued jointly issued by Speaker Pro Tem Jim Butler, of Oakwood; Majority Floor Leader Bill Seitz, of Cincinnati; Assistant Majority Floor Leader Anthony DeVitis, of Green; Majority Whip Jay Edwards, of Nelsonville; and Assistant Majority Whip Laura Lanese, of Grove City.

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Republican DeWine called for the leader from Perry County to quickly step aside after he and four others were charged in federal court with a bribery and racketeering conspiracy stemming from House Bill 6, the $1 billion ratepayer bailout of a utility’s pair of nuclear power plants.

“I am deeply concerned about the allegations of wrongdoing in the (charges) issued today by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Every American has the presumption of innocence until proven guilty,” DeWine said in a Tuesday afternoon statement.

“Because of the nature of these charges, it will be impossible for Speaker Householder to effectively lead the Ohio House of Representatives; therefore, I am calling on Speaker Householder to resign immediately. This is a sad day for Ohio.”

DeWine, as attorney general and candidate for governor, also insisted that former Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, R-Clarksville, resign amid a payday loan scandal investigation that has resulted in no charges. The governor declined additional comment on Householder on Tuesday evening.

Senate President Larry Obhof, R-Medina, said his counterpart in the House must resign.

“The allegations made today are very detailed, they are very serious, and they are very troubling to me, and undoubtedly, to the people of Ohio,” Obhof said in a statement. “The seriousness and gravity of the allegations cast a dark shadow over the People’s House. It is clear that he cannot continue to lead the Ohio House of Representatives. He should resign.”

Republican Attorney General Dave Yost also called for the second-time speaker to resign in a statement.

“Larry Householder sold out the people of Ohio in exchange for power and dirty money. The 81-page sworn affidavit filed today shows plainly he cannot be trusted to act in the public interest, or trusted with public authority,” Yost said.

Republican Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, a former House speaker, said in a statement that Householder must resign. “Ohio is in the midst of a pandemic response and economic downturn, and the institution of the House of Representatives must remain operational, and the integrity of the office and the institution must be restored,” he said.

House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes, D-Akron — some of her Democrats provided votes to help elect Householder speaker — also called for the leader to depart immediately.

“We implore our Republican colleagues to announce a new leader for this body as soon as possible. We cannot let this situation distract us from the important work that needs to get done,” she said in a reference to the coronavirus pandemic and economic tumult.

Senate Minority Leader Kenny Yuko, D-Richmond Heights, echoed his House colleague’s call for the speaker’s resignation.

“Ohio has been under one-party rule for most of the past two decades. This has allowed certain politicians to feel untouchable and caused a culture of corruption to spread among our government institutions. This is a culture that we must eradicate,” Yuko said in a statement.

Ohio Republican Party Chairman Jane Timken said she was “shocked, saddened, and frankly angry” in calling for Householder to resign.

“When Mr. Householder worked closely with Democrats in the House to achieve the votes necessary to become Speaker, I realized that he does things his own way. He will now face his own reckoning,” she said.

Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper also wants Householder gone.

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“The revelations contained in today’s criminal complaint against the Republican speaker of the House and his associates tell the tale of conspirators who have been at this for a long time and know how to evade accountability for their corrupt actions. That’s because, for decades, the culture of Columbus and the Ohio Statehouse under GOP leadership is fundamentally one of corruption, kickbacks and pay-to-play,” he said.

A pair of Republican legislative veterans now in Congress, Rep. Steve Stivers, of Columbus, and Rep. Troy Balderson, of Zanesville, also called for Householder to step aside. U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican, called for Householder’s resignation as well.