Larry Householder

Larry Householder is the former Republican Speaker of the Ohio House who masterminded the HB 6 bribery scheme — the largest public- corruption case in Ohio history. He is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence and awaits a separate state trial.

Who he is

A longtime Perry County politician who served an earlier stint as Speaker (2001-2004), left under an FBI cloud, and engineered a comeback bankrolled by secret FirstEnergy money.

Key facts and dates

• Used roughly $60 million in FirstEnergy money, routed through Generation Now, to elect a loyal slate in 2018 and win the speakership in January 2019.
• Pushed through House Bill 6 (signed July 23, 2019), then helped spend ~$38 million to kill its repeal.
• Convicted of federal racketeering conspiracy March 9, 2023; sentenced to 20 years (June 29, 2023).
• The U.S. Supreme Court denied his appeal April 27, 2026; his lawyer said he would seek a presidential pardon.
• Faces 10 state felony counts from Dave Yost — trial set for June 8, 2026 — that a federal pardon would not reach.

Relationships

• Convicted alongside former Ohio GOP chair Matt Borges (five-year sentence).
• His scheme ran through Generation Now and depended on the captured regulator Sam Randazzo at Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO).
• His prosecution is the through-case for the Attorney General's office and the Ohio 2026 Attorney General Race.

Why it matters in 2026

• His June 8, 2026 state trial puts the scandal back in front of voters mid-cycle.
• The Ohio 2026 Attorney General Race (Keith Faber vs. John J. Kulewicz) decides who carries the state case if it survives past the election.