Overview

• A federal appeals court unanimously upheld the racketeering convictions of former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and lobbyist Matt Borges in the House Bill 6 bribery case.
• Householder was sentenced to 20 years in prison for orchestrating a $60 million scheme to pass and protect a $1.3 billion bailout for FirstEnergy’s nuclear plants.
• Borges received a five-year sentence for his role in undermining efforts to repeal the bailout legislation.
• The Sixth Circuit rejected all appeal arguments, though a concurring opinion questioned the clarity of honest services fraud law and suggested Supreme Court review.
• Prosecutors have described the House Bill 6 scheme as likely the largest political corruption case in Ohio history.