Larry Householder and Matt Borges

Larry Householder, former Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, and lobbyist Matthew Borges have been involved in a major corruption scandal that culminated in their convictions in 2025. Householder was convicted of conspiring to solicit and receive nearly $60 million in bribes from FirstEnergy Corp. in exchange for passing House Bill 6, a legislation that included a $1 billion bailout for nuclear power plants. The scheme was described as the largest corruption case in Ohio's history. Householder used the illicit funds to support his bid for the speakership and to influence candidate recruitment, and he was sentenced to 20 years in prison (Justia, Yahoo Finance). Matthew Borges, a former Ohio Republican Party chair and lobbyist, was also convicted of participating in the conspiracy, specifically for attempting to disrupt a referendum campaign aimed at repealing the legislation. He was sentenced to five years in prison. The convictions were upheld by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in May 2025, affirming the findings that both men engaged in a racketeering scheme involving bribery and corruption related to the $60 million payoff (Justia, Yahoo Finance). The case, United States v. Householder, is considered a landmark in Ohio political corruption cases, highlighting the severity and scale of the misconduct.