Court Upholds Householder, Borges Convictions in $60M Bribery Case

A federal appeals court has upheld the convictions of former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and ex-Ohio Republican Party Chair Matt Borges for their roles in the largest public corruption scandal in Ohio history, involving a $60 million bribery scheme with FirstEnergy. Householder was sentenced to 20 years in prison for soliciting and receiving millions in exchange for passing House Bill 6, which provided a $1 billion bailout to FirstEnergy’s nuclear plants. Borges received a five-year sentence for his part in the scheme, including attempting to bribe an FBI informant. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously rejected all arguments raised by Householder and Borges, including claims of judicial bias and improper trial procedures, affirming that ample evidence supported their convictions. The case underscores the thin line between legal political contributions and illegal bribery, with the court finding explicit quid pro quo actions by the convicted officials. FirstEnergy has admitted to its role in the operation and cooperated with federal prosecutors.