The federal accusations
Borges, Householder and three others are accused of participating in a nearly $61 million bribery scheme to help Householder win control of the Ohio House in early 2019, pass a $1 billion bailout for the two nuclear plants and defend that law – House Bill 6 – against a ballot initiative to block it.
Householder and Borges have pleaded not guilty to racketeering, asserting their innocence publicly. Householder's strategist Jeff Longstreth and FirstEnergy Solutions lobbyist Juan Cespedes have pleaded guilty to their roles. GOP superlobbyist Neil Clark, who pleaded not guilty, died by suicide in March 2021 before his innocence or guilt could be proven.