After being convicted of the largest corruption scam in state history, former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder believes he deserves only 12 to 18 months in prison, according to (*12*)modern court documents.
“Mr. Householder is a broken man,” defense attorneys said. “He has been humiliated and disgraced.”
AND the jury ruled that Householder and former GOP leader Matt Borges, beyond any reasonable doubt, participated in the largest public corruption case in state history. Householder passed a nearly $61 million, $1 billion bailout plan, House Bill 6, at taxpayer expense.
According to another recently released court document, the FBI has asked that former Ohio House of Representatives Speaker Larry Householder be sentenced to 16 to 20 years in prison for “causing unfathomable harm to the institutions of democracy.”
Householder’s attorneys acknowledge their plea may be a “difficult task,” but say “no defendant should be made a martyr to public passion.”
The records show that the good the Host has done for the community outweighs the evil.
“Our purpose is not to revisit the facts presented to the jury — that will be a task for appellate lawyers and the appellate courts — but to provide Mr. Householder’s perspective, which was not reflected in his portrayal at trial and in the news media,” the document states.
The following pages rehash the opening argument, painting a picture of Householder as an Appalachian farm boy with a dream. They then attempt to argue that the government has not fully demonstrated that every bribe he accepted was an actual bribe.
Ultimately, the defense argues that the nature of the crime and Householder’s past and characteristics support a “sentence below the guidelines.”
Defense attorneys say Householder “did not financially benefit from the crime,” saying the money, which came from his right-hand man, who was responsible for managing the financial aspects of the operation, was a loan. That “loan” was then used to pay off Householder’s debt and renovate his Florida home.
The convicted felon has already suffered punishment, the filing says, because (*18*)
“Mr. Householder simply does not pose a threat to society, and there is no public interest served by putting him behind bars for decades,” the defense argues. “To the contrary, society will suffer by being deprived of an individual whose charitable giving, good deeds, and work ethic have improved the lives of so many.”
An entire section of the file explains why the “media” is to blame for damaging his reputation.
Letters of support
Along with letters from family members a letter arrived from state representative Brett Hillyer (R-Uhrichsville). Hillyer chairs the House Civil Justice Committee and is an attorney.
“The person being portrayed by the media and outside groups is someone I have never personally seen or recognized,” Hillyer writes. “It was painfully obvious that some in the media were using their political opposition to Mr. Householder to incite him and stir up controversy against him.”
Hillyer, a moderate Republican who testified on Householder’s behalf during the trial, is concerned about the former speaker’s age and health. He is asking Judge Timothy Black for leniency.
Former Ohio lawmaker Joy Padgett, defending Householder, placed blame on deceased co-conspirator Neil Clark.
“[Clark] was influential, but he was prone to gross exaggeration in every conversation on every topic discussed,” Padgett wrote. “Anyone who knew Neil knew they had to separate the ‘wheat from the chaff’ in his comments.”
Householder was talented, she continued, (*20*)
She suggested he should only get a suspended sentence.
Next up was Scott Pullins, who Interview with News 5 during and after the trial.
“I personally know Larry Householder to be honest, ethical and tries very hard to follow the law,” said Pullins, Householder’s attorney.
Householder and Borges will be convicted at 1 p.m. June 29 and 11 a.m. June 30, respectively, according to court documents.
Follow THE FISH State House reporter Morgan Trau on the subject Twitter AND Facebook.
This article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ stories, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets because it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland.
