COLUMBUS, Ohio — There is no way to sugarcoat it — Ohio public officials behaved badly in 2023. Politicians consistently dealt with the law, so Statehouse reporter Morgan Trau broke down a list of the public figures who ran into legal troubles.
The FBI has been busy this year. Five of the seven public officials on this list have been dealing with the feds, the other two are being handled by locals.
Disclaimer: There were plenty of other public officials that were under scrutiny this year, but the following were the biggest scandals — involving either statewide officials or federal cases. This list does not include lawsuits filed against public officials, if it had — this article would be seemingly endless.
Going chronologically, the year started off with a bang with the trial for the largest bribery scheme in state history.
Larry Householder
Unlikely to ever see the outside of a prison fence for the rest of his life, former Republican House Speaker Larry Householder had a tough year.
After his trial from January to March, Householder was found guilty of accepting a $61 million bribe in exchange for selling out the Statehouse to FirstEnergy and other utility companies. He used taxpayer money to create legislation called House Bill 6 that provided a more than a billion-dollar bailout for FE's struggling nuclear power plants.
He used the bribe money to put himself and his allies into power, demolishing and threatening anyone in his path, as well as paying off credit card debt and renovations to his home in Florida.
He then fell into the FBI's trap and, embarrassingly, lied on the stand. He seemed to not understand that the feds had recordings of him admitting to the crimes.
In June, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
"I'm not guilty," Householder exclaimed following the verdict.
The jury, judge and FBI begged to differ.
RELATED: Once the most powerful lawmaker in OH, Larry Householder to serve 20 years behind bars
Matt Borges
Former GOP leader Matt Borges got the short end of the racketeering stick, having his bribery scheme charges combined in the same trial as Householder.
He pocketed over $350,000 from the scandal, but his biggest faux pas was attempting to bribe an FBI informant with a $15,000 check.
He was also found guilty, which the foreman of the jury told said it was a much easier decision to make than Householder since it was so clear-cut.
"I did not believe that anything proved that I had engaged in a racketeering conspiracy, which is why I fought this from the beginning," Borges said on the day the verdict was read.
Due to playing a significantly smaller role in the scandal and for seemingly taking responsibility for his actions in his sentencing request letter, he ended up with five years in prison.
Bob Young
In a three-month period, Former Republican state Rep. Bob Young was arrested thrice, ending up with a multitude of charges related to domestic violence.
The ex-Northern Canton lawmaker was first charged with domestic violence against his wife and assault against his brother in July, then violation of protection order in August, and then stalking and violating protection order again in September.
He refused to resign until public pressure mounted after his second arrest. He left his seat to focus on "his faith" in October.
During the trial, the judge was appalled when Young called his teen daughter a "liar," after testifying what she saw during the first assault.
"I may have hit her hand unintentionally or something just so I wouldn't get hit again," Young said when alleging his wife hit him first.
He was found guilty of domestic violence but acquitted on the assault charge. He took a plea deal on the subsequent charges.
RELATED: Former Ohio state Rep. Bob Young found guilty in domestic violence trial
P.G. Sittenfeld
In October, former Democratic Cincinnati city councilman P.G. Sittenfeld was sentenced to 16 months in prison after a jury convicted him of bribery and extortion charges.
A jury found Sittenfeld guilty on one charge of bribery and one charge of attempted extortion for taking $40,000 in campaign donations from undercover FBI agents who were posing as developers and asking for help on a Downtown project.
"For the sake of my family, I'm looking forward to putting this behind me,” Sittenfeld said during the trial.
RELATED: Former Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld to report to prison Jan. 2
Elliot Forhan
After a tumultuous six months, Democratic state Rep. Elliot Forhan (D-South Euclid) had a civil protection order and a police report filed against him in November from a fellow lawmaker.
State Rep. Juanita Brent (D-Cleveland) filed and received a restraining order against Forhan after numerous incidents of harassment, including allegedly showing up to her house on numerous occasions, she said.
"I'm working with some representatives in defending myself in every respect," Forhan said. "Filing a false police report is a very serious issue."
Prior to the law getting involved, Forhan was stripped of nearly all his legislative privileges due to allegations of “abusive” and “violent” behavior — and the "pattern of harassment, hostility, and intimidation of colleagues and staff."
He continues to deny all allegations.
RELATED: Rep. Forhan not ruling out lawsuit after privileges revoked due to alleged ‘abusive behavior’
Sam Randazzo
The dominos continue to fall in the H.B. 6 scheme. In early December, former chairman of the Public Utilities Commission Sam Randazzo pleaded not guilty after being charged with a dozen bribery crimes.
Unluckily for Randazzo, who didn't also take a plea deal when Householder's right-hand man, Jeff Longstreth, and FirstEnergy admitted to the scheme, he now has to deal with the ramifications of the information that is already public.
FirstEnergy has already admitted to bribing Randazzo with a $4.3 million payment so the former chairman could help the company behind the scenes — in one way — by pushing and helping to create H.B. 6.
Randazzo and his attorney have refused to address the scandal, but Case Western Reserve University law professor Michael Benza explained what fate likely awaits Randazzo.
"He will probably spend the rest of his life in prison," the professor responded. "He would be looking at probably dying in prison."
WCPO's sister station, WEWS, had a one-on-one interview with Gov. Mike DeWine, who said he regrets appointing Randazzo to the PUCO. DeWine and Lieutenant Gov. Jon Husted have both been subpoenaed in a civil case relating to this scandal and what they know about Randazzo.
RELATED: Former chairman of Public Utilities Commission of Ohio indicted on 11 charges
Jeff Pastor
In mid-December, former Republican Cincinnati city councilman Jeff Pastor was sentenced to 2 years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud.
Six months after he took office, FBI agents say he began soliciting bribes in exchange for official action on two development projects.
He was accused of taking $55,000 in exchange for votes on two development deals. His plea deal allows him to only admit to taking $15,000.
On Dec. 21, he was sentenced to two years in in prison for his role in a public corruption scandal that rocked City Hall in 2020.
Pastor will also be supervised for three years after his release from prison. Pastor will serve his time at a prison in Ashland, Kentucky, which he requested. He has to report to prison by Jan. 22, 2024.
RELATED: Former Councilman Jeff Pastor sentenced to 2 years in prison for public corruption
What's next?
The FBI continues to work around the clock investigating the H.B. 6 bribery scheme.
"Worst case scenario, this ends up implicating every elected official in Columbus — to some degree or another — being involved in this bribery scandal," Benza said.
RELATED: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine addresses subpoena in bribery scandal civil case, until AG Yost stops him
Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook.
