"Imprisoned Ex-Ohio House Speaker Faces 10 New Charges"

Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder faces new charges in state court, including theft in office, aggravated theft, telecommunications fraud, money laundering, and tampering with records, which could permanently disqualify him from holding public office. The charges stem from a pay-to-play scandal involving Akron-based FirstEnergy and a $1 billion bailout for two nuclear plants. Householder is also accused of using $750,000 from his campaign account for his criminal defense and failing to accurately report his finances on ethics forms. He has been convicted in a federal racketeering conspiracy case and is appealing the conviction. Two former FirstEnergy executives and an ex-Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chairman have also been charged in connection with the scandal.