Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder pled not guilty on Friday to allegations of misappropriating his campaign funds to cover legal fees related to the notorious bribery scandal that resulted in his 20-year prison sentence.

Accusations of Misusing Campaign Funds

Householder, appearing remotely from federal prison, is accused of improperly using over $750,000 in campaign donations for his legal fees stemming from prior criminal proceedings in Ohio federal court. According to a Friday journal entry from Judge Emily Hagan of the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, Householder appeared with counsel via Zoom and pled not guilty to the state-level charges against him.

Ohio's Jailed Ex-Speaker  : Indictment Details

In March, an Ohio grand jury indicted Householder on 10 counts, including aggravated theft, theft in office, money laundering, telecommunications fraud, and tampering with records. The indictment alleges he used campaign funds from Citizens for Larry Householder to pay legal fees in the federal case brought by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. Yost accused the ex-speaker of accepting $60 million in bribes to aid FirstEnergy Corp. with its nuclear power losses.

Ohio's Jailed Ex-Speaker  : Ongoing Legal Battles

While contesting the new charges, Ohio's jailed ex-speaker is also appealing his 20-year federal prison sentence. He received this sentence for orchestrating a $1.3 billion taxpayer-funded bailout of FirstEnergy's nuclear energy program, which was part of his bribery scheme with other state officials and FirstEnergy executives.

Sentenced for his bribery conviction in June 2023, Householder filed his appeal with the Sixth Circuit in February, arguing bias from the presiding judge in the Southern District of Ohio. He has consistently maintained his innocence throughout his federal and state-level criminal proceedings.

Other Key Figures and Legal Representation

Several key figures in the FirstEnergy scandal have been convicted or are facing charges, including former Ohio energy regulator Samuel Randazzo, who died by apparent suicide in April. FirstEnergy admitted its role in the scheme in 2021.

All 10 charges against Householder in the campaign funds case are felonies. Initially brought by the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, the case was later assigned to the Ohio Attorney General's Office.

Householder is represented by Kevin M. Spellacy of Quinlivan & Hughes PA and Thomas E. Shaughnessy of Thomas E. Shaughnessy & Associates. The state is represented by Carol O'Brien and Matthew Meyer of the Ohio Attorney General's Office. Counsel for Householder did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and a representative of the Ohio Attorney General's Office declined to comment.