I, as any Ohioan should, am deeply troubled by the indictment of Speaker Larry Householder and four other associates by the U.S. District Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. If proven to be true, these abhorrent actions violate the public trust in our elected officials.
— Rick Perales (@PeralesForOhio) July 21, 2020
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, Attorney General Dave Yost and Ohio Republican Party Chair Jane Timken have also called on Householder to step down.
Householder and his attorney haven’t responded to requests for comment.
Businesses and other organizations also are cutting ties with long-time lobbyist Neil Clark after he appeared in U.S. District Court this week and faces a federal racketeering charge.
Ohio’s largest public pension system, Ohio Public Employees Retirement System, confirmed Wednesday that it severed ties with Clark and his firm.
“OPERS uses a combination of internal government relations and external consultants. OPERS has terminated its contract with Neil Clark and Grant Street Consultants. Grant Street Consultants was engaged to provide services related to legislative and government relations matters. The current agreement was set to expire Dec. 31, 2020,” the pension fund said.
OPERS put Clark on a monthly retainer of $10,000 in October 2015 and later reduced it to $7,500 a month beginning in November 2016.
Others that have severed ties include Charter Communications, Ohio Beverage Association, Ohio Cable Telecommunications Association, Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants, RB Sigma, School Choice Ohio Inc, and Sharp Law.
This is a developing story. Check back soon for more details.
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