Ohio GOP votes to remove speaker indicted in $60 million bribery scheme

On Tuesday, the Newark Advocatereported that Ohio's Republican state House caucus has voted to remove indicted Speaker Larry Householder, following reports that he has refused to resign voluntarily.

"There was no immediate word on the vote, nor when it would be made official by a formal vote of the full House," reported Benjamin Lanka. "Householder, barred from interacting with potential witnesses in the criminal case against him, did not show up despite some lawmakers’ assurances he would."

The full House still needs to take a formal vote to remove him, which has yet to be scheduled.

Householder was arrested by the FBI last week and charged in an alleged $60 million bribery scheme. He is alleged to have taken the bribe from lobbyists through a dark money group in exchange for passage of bills, including a controversial energy law that wiped out state support for renewable energy and energy efficiency upgrades.