Ohio speaker Householder indicted in federal bribery case; title stripped in 90-0 vote

[Cirque du So-What]

Source: USA Today

ANNA STAVER AND JESSIE BALMERT | USA TODAY NETWORK

37 minutes ago

COLUMBUS, Ohio – It’s no longer “Speaker” Larry Householder.

In a bipartisan 90-0 vote, Ohio House members removed the newly indicted Republican from his post of state house speaker. The chamber then recessed as Republicans try to figure out a successor.

Nine members did not vote, including Householder, who was not present. He was arrested last week on racketeering charges, along with four associates.

A federal grand jury indicted Housholder and four others Thursday in what investigators say was a $61 million bribery scheme.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/07/30/larry-householder-indicted-bribery-case-house-speaker-job-stripped/5544693002/

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This is a personal day of jubilation!

[JT45242]

1. Curiosity question

Were the other 8 people not present or did they abstain?

I would imagine that the only people to abstain would have to be involved in some way (speculating of course). Not sure how you justify abstaining in any other way to your constituents for a guy who took $60+ million in bribes to rig elections and make himself rich.

[Jakes Progress]

6. Easy to imagine.

I'm surprised that any republican would vote to censure another republican - especially if it was for stealing money or selling influence. That is what republicans live for. The admire that.

I didn't used to feel that way about all republicans. I had friends who were republicans. But in those long ago days (pre reagan) my republican friends and I wanted the same good things. We just differed about what was the best way of getting there.

Now the republican party is about greed, bigotry, and power. This is borne out by the fact that if there were only four honest, decent republicans in the Senate, trump would already be gone. If at least 10% of the republicans cared more about the country than themselves, we would have ended the nightmare that has been the last three years. But there wasn't even 1%.

[LiberalLovinLug]

8. This. It is almost a bigger story that not one Republican voted against it.

In these kinds of cases, its almost a given that the vote will be split down party lines, no matter how serious the crime, and to pass something like this, Democrats have to cajole enough "moderate" Rs to do the right thing to get a majority.

[leftieNanner]

2. Now let's hope he has serious consequences

if he is found guilty in a court of law. No slap on the wrist. No wink - wink probation. Serious prison time for this.

We throw young men of color in prison for years for an ounce of weed. A $60 million bribe is something on another plane.

[onetexan]

5. You've said it so well, Nanner!!!

[demosincebirth]

7. Bank robbers get at least 8 years for robbing a bank of three or four thousand bucks.

He’ll probably get 2years in some fancy country club prison.

[CincyDem]

3. Gonna make the 2020 state House election interesting.

Householder was the #1 (by far) fund raiser for Ohio House republicans. And of course he achieved that through deals like the one that got him indicted. Gonna be interesting to see where they find a replacement for those funds. The names I'm seeing for the Speakership - bunch of those guys were involved in the private plan trip back to Columbus to vote on HB6 - the bill at the heart of his indictment. So it's likely going to be a "meet the new boss, same as the old boss" kinda thing.

[yellowcanine]

4. Guess he wishes now he would have stepped down.

And he didn't have the balls to be present for the vote. What a Weiner.