Householder’s claims questioned as corruption testimony ends

By JULIE CARR SMYTH
Associated Press

CINCINNATI (AP) — Prosecutors have used the former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder’s own speeches, photographs and conversations against him as they seek to unravel the Republican’s denials of key elements of the secretly funded $60 million racketeering scheme they allege he carried out on behalf of FirstEnergy Corp. Householder and co-defendant Matt Borges rested their cases in the pair’s corruption trial in U.S. District Court Thursday, as did the government. That sends the state’s largest corruption trial into closing statements Tuesday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Glatfelter and Householder sparred for hours over conflicts between the government’s evidence and his statements.