Ex-Ohio GOP Chair Gets Five Years In Bribery Scheme

The Associated Press reports:

Ohio lobbyist Matt Borges was sentenced Friday to five years in prison and three years of probation for his part in the largest corruption scandal in Ohio history, a sentence the former Ohio Republican Party chair vowed to appeal. The punishment by U.S. District Judge Timothy Black came just a day after former Republican Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, who was convicted of racketeering alongside Borges earlier this year, was sentenced to 20 years. Householder also plans to fight his sentence.

Following sentencing, Borges was immediately taken into custody and escorted from the courtroom in handcuffs. A jury found the pair guilty in March, determining that Householder orchestrated and Borges participated in a $60 million bribery scheme secretly funded by Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. to secure Householder’s power, elect his allies and pass and defend a $1 billion nuclear plant bailout.

Read the full article.

As I reported in 2012, prior to becoming the chair of the state GOP, among Borges’ lobbying clients was the LGBTQ rights group, Equality Ohio.

Ohio lobbyist Matt Borges has been sentenced to five years in prison and three years of probation for his part in the largest corruption scandal in Ohio history. The 51-year-old’s punishment from U.S. District Judge Timothy Black’s came down Friday, a d… https://t.co/JpK4pZskzA

— KSTP (@KSTP) June 30, 2023