Ex-Ohio House speaker relieved for corruption trial's start
Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder says he is optimistic ahead of opening statements in his federal racketeering trial CINCINNATI -- Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder said Monday that he is optimistic ahead of his trial on a federal racketeering charge and looks forward to telling his side of the story. “It should be a very good six weeks for me," Householder told reporters in the courtroom. What will reporters hear? "Truth,” he said, adding that he is not nervous or anxious for the proceeding to begin. The Perry County Republican, once among the most powerful politicians in Ohio, is on trial in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati alongside lobbyist Matt Borges, a former chair of the Ohio Republican Party, in what prosecutors have described as the largest corruption case in state History . A jury must decide whether Householder, 63, and Borges, 50, are guilty of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise involving bribery and money laundering. ...