A year out, $60M bribery scandal felt in business, politics

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The arrests one year ago Wednesday of then-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and four associates in connection with an alleged $60 million bribery scheme have rocked business and politics across the state, and events over the last year suggest a federal probe's tentacles only continue to grow.

Here is a look at where things stand in what then-U.S. Attorney David DeVillers described as the largest corruption scandal in Ohio history:

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THE PLAYERS

Householder, a Republican, has pleaded not guilty and maintains his innocence. He was removed from the speakership last year, reelected to office in November despite the felony racketeering charges he faces, then expelled from the chamber last month in an historic vote.

His longtime political adviser Jeff Longstreth, lobbyist Juan Cespedes and Generation Now, a dark money group accused of taking millions in bribes, have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

Former Ohio Republican Chair and lobbyist Matt Borges has pleaded not guilty, admitting in a separate campaign finance probe that he spent the money but insisting legally so. Longtime Statehouse lobbyist Neil Clark died by suicide in Florida in March.

DeVillers, an appointee of Republican former President Donald Trump, resigned in February to allow the new president to pick a successor. Democratic President Joe Biden has yet to nominate DeVillers' permanent replacement.

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THE POLICY

The legislation at the heart of the scandal, House Bill 6, included a $1 billion bailout for two nuclear power plants operated at the time by a wholly-owned subsidiary of Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. The federal criminal complaint said the conspiracy to pass the bill had partial roots on a flight FirstEnergy provided to Householder and his son to Trump’s January...