Ex-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder disputes pay to play, flashes Appalachian charm

Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder took the witness stand Wednesday, invoked some Appalachian charisma and told jurors that much of what they had heard in the Ohio corruption trial was simply wrong.

Federal prosecutors accuse Householder of orchestrating a pay-to-play scheme that traded nearly $61 million in Akron-based FirstEnergy donations for legislation: a $1.3 billion bailout for two nuclear plants called House Bill 6. A chunk of that money paid for a well-funded campaign to block an effort to stop the law from taking effect.

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Householder, a skilled politician whose career in elected offices spanned decades, used folksy charm to say the government got it wrong. He never hatched a plan with FirstEnergy executives over steakhouse dinners. He never required candidates to back him for speaker or support particular legislation. He didn't control Generation Now, the dark money group at the heart of the alleged scandal.

Here's what Householder said on the witness stand:

Pizza party v. steakhouse dinners

The prosecution says Householder attended swanky steakhouse dinners with FirstEnergy executives in the days before the inauguration of President Donald Trump in January 2017. But Householder walked through an entirely different itinerary that included a Trace Adkins country music concert with his son Luke and a family trip to a pizza place in Washington, D.C.

"My wife’s a pizza addict," Householder said.

His political consultant Jeff Longstreth previously said under oath that Householder attended steakhouse dinners with FirstEnergy's then-CEO Chuck Jones and chief lobbyist Mike Dowling. At the meetings, FirstEnergy's leaders bent Householder's ear about their need for a legislative bailout for their struggling nuclear plants, Longstreth said. I

Shortly after, FirstEnergy committed $1 million to Generation Now, which backed Householder and his candidates.

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But Householder says that pay-to-play deal never happened. Householder did take FirstEnergy's private jet to Washington, D.C., with Dowling, Cleveland restaurant owner Tony George, then-Cuyahoga County GOP Chairman Rob Frost and others. He paid for that trip with a $2,600 check in mid-March after a Dayton Daily News article.

But after hitching a ride, Householder testified that he spent little time with FirstEnergy. Householder said that he saw Jones just twice during that trip: once, briefly at a party thrown by Republican ad maker Rex Elsass on Jan. 19, 2017, and again as Householder finished up breakfast to leave Washington, D.C., on Jan. 21, 2017.

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Householder distances himself from Generation Now: 'I just didn’t like that name'

Householder testified that Longstreth, not himself, controlled the dark money group Generation Now. Householder said he didn't even like the name of the dark money group that bankrolled support of GOP candidates and House Bill 6.

“I just didn’t like that name," Householder said. "I didn’t get it.”

Again, that contradicted Longstreth, who said they workshopped the name together and decided on Generation Now, a nod to both energy generation and a new generation of Republican candidates.

Longstreth testified that Householder was deeply involved in Generation Now, its candidates and its message. Householder denied that was the case.

Ohio Statehouse CorruptionWho you need to know in the public corruption case

What happened with the $400,000 check?

Householder disputed FirstEnergy Solutions lobbyist Juan Cespedes' account of an October 2018 meeting in which the company delivered a $400,000 check to Householder for Generation Now.

Cespedes testified that fellow lobbyist Bob Klaffky slid the envelope with the check across a conference table and into Householder's hands. Cespedes recounted Klaffky saying that FirstEnergy Solutions cared very much about a bailout and that Householder peeked at the check and said "yes they do."

Householder said he didn't promise legislation for FirstEnergy Solutions and he refuted details Cespedes swore to.

"There wasn’t even a table to slide it across," Householder said.

HouseholderOut front, Larry Householder looked invincible but behind the scenes was a different story

Casket carriers or friends?

Throughout the trial, witnesses testified that Householder demanded loyalty from his candidates and staff. Longstreth testified that Householder used the term "casket carriers," which Longstreth defined as: “a loyal team around him that would be with him until his death and to lower the casket in the ground.”

But Householder explained that he uses the term "casket carriers" for allies. "When you get to the age I am, you aren't looking for more enemies," said Householder, 62.

One of those casket carriers was ex-lobbyist Neil Clark, who described himself as Householder's "proxy" before his death in March 2021. But Householder laughed when his attorney asked if he ever gave Clark his proxy.

"I don’t give up my right to speak for myself," he said. "I speak for myself, believe me."

'The divisiveness has to end'

Householder characterized Republicans who testified against him in the federal corruption trial as people who never let go of the 2019 speaker's race. They backed his opponent, Speaker Ryan Smith.

“This divisiveness has to end," Householder said. “They never gave it up.”

Former Reps. Dave Greenspan, Laura Lanese and Kyle Koehler testified that they felt pressured to vote for House Bill 6 and worried about their political futures after they voted "no." Householder texted Greenspan after the vote: "I just want you to remember − when I needed you – you weren't there. ... twice."

But Householder said on the stand he did not kill any of those lawmakers' bills or remove them from any committees.

In fact, he returned to state politics in 2016 to fight that kind of inter and intraparty animosity. "I was discouraged by the divisiveness there was in politics."

TimelineSelling out in the Statehouse

Householder's Appalachian charm

Householder is a talented politician, skilled in winning over people. Householder applied that skill on the stand, using folksy touches and humor. He spoke directly to the jury when explaining, in plain terms, how a bill becomes law or Ohio's energy challenges.

When Householder's attorney Nick Oleski asked how long Householder had been married to his wife, the politician responded: "That's a dangerous question to ask," which elicited chuckles from several jurors.

Householder is expected to continue testimony and answer questions on cross-examination by federal prosecutors on Thursday.

USA TODAY Network Ohio bureau reporters Jessie Balmert and Laura Bischoff have been following the House Bill 6 scandal since the story broke. They will continue to follow developments and the trial. Follow them on Twitter at @lbischoff and @jbalmert for updates.

The USA TODAY Network Ohio bureau serves the Akron Beacon Journal, the Columbus Dispatch, the Cincinnati Enquirer and other network news organizations across the state.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Larry Householder testifies in his own defense in federal court