Judge Allows Ex-Ohio House Speaker More Time to Find Lawyer | Political News

Angelena Iglesia

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The former speaker of the Ohio House can take more time to find a permanent lawyer to defend him against a charge related to an alleged $60 million bribery scheme, a federal judge ruled Thursday. Republican Rep. Larry Householder and four others are accused of shepherding […]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The former speaker of the Ohio House can take more time to find a permanent lawyer to defend him against a charge related to an alleged $60 million bribery scheme, a federal judge ruled Thursday.

Republican Rep. Larry Householder and four others are accused of shepherding $60 million in energy company money for personal and political use, in exchange for passing a legislative bailout of two nuclear power plants and then derailing an attempt to place a rejection of the bailout on the ballot.

Four defendants pleaded not guilty earlier this month to the charge that they conspired as part of what one defendant called an “unholy alliance” aimed at saving the plants.

A judge allowed Householder to delay that Aug. 6 court appearance to find a new attorney. Householder’s current attorney, Dave Thomas, says he has an unspecified conflict of interest and must drop off the case.

Householder had been scheduled for a hearing Thursday. But Thomas filed a new motion saying Householder still needs more time to find a long-term lawyer, and federal prosecutors didn’t oppose it. U.S. District Judge Timothy Black approved the request Thursday.

Black urged Householder “to expedite his efforts to secure new counsel, so as to avoid the need for any further continuances.”

A nonprofit called Generation Now is also charged as a corporation in the scheme. On Thursday, defense attorney Robert Krapenc entered a not guilty plea on behalf of the nonprofit. Krapenc declined to comment.

If convicted, the corporation could forfeit money or property to the government, according to the July 30 indictment.

Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source Article

Next Post

Report: Chinese rights lawyer has his license revoked

Aug. 21 (UPI) — A Chinese human rights lawyer who was arrested in 2015 in a nationwide crackdown has had his license confiscated after a career of defending political dissidents. Xie Yang, one of more than 200 people who were detained in 2015, has had his license revoked by the […]