Transparency is Key—Householder Trial Transcripts

In March 2023, both former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and former chair of the Ohio Republican Party Matt Borges were found guilty of scheming against the people of Ohio in a racketeering conspiracy.

Witnesses and court documents reveal how the “Householder Enterprise’’ worked. They demonstrate how money from FirstEnergy was funneled using nonprofits that were shielded from public scrutiny. The purpose of these “dark money groups” was to build and cement Larry Householder’s political power, score the bailout of failing nuclear plants for FirstEnergy (House Bill 6), and fight the citizens’ referendum against the bill.

The guilty verdicts in the Householder and Borges trial has powerful implications for the rest of the country. Citizens United v. FEC may have opened the floodgates of corporate cash, but that doesn’t mean that pay-to-play is legal or right. The trial revealed the importance of basic financial disclosure, and how essential it is for the public to be able to follow the money behind political advertising.

Transparency is key to reform. We must improve accountability and strengthen existing laws designed to discourage bribery of our leaders. With that firmly in mind, we offer you the following transcripts from the trial.