Larry Householder Expelled: How Strongsville Lawmaker Voted

STRONGSVILLE, OH — Larry Householder was expelled from the Ohio House on Wednesday after a historic vote.

The embattled former speaker of the House was ousted by his colleagues, with state representatives voting 75-21 to remove him. All but one of the votes to keep him in the House were from Republicans, though many Republicans also voted to expel Householder.

State Rep. Thomas Patton, a Republican from Strongsville, voted to remove Householder from the assembly.

“Today was assuredly a sad day within the Ohio House. Former Representative Householder had several opportunities to speak pertaining to this very serious issue of expulsion. While today was unfortunate, we leave knowing that we have a much better and brighter future not only for this institution, but for the people of Ohio," Patton told Patch in an email on Wednesday.

In July 2020, the Department of Justice and FBI accused Householder and his associates of of accepting and overseeing distribution of $61 million in "dark money" to pass a bailout bill for two Ohio nuclear plants. The majority of the money went to advertisements to attack opponents of House Bill 6 and support candidates who would pass the legislation, the investigators said at the time.

Despite the public accusation, Householder remained a member of the Ohio House, though he did lose his role as speaker. He has pleaded not guilty to the accusations.

Throughout a contentious discussion on Householder's future this week, the embattled representative maintained his innocence and accused his colleagues of condemning him before a verdict had been reached. He repeatedly said he had never accepted or provided a bribe.