Ohio Lobbyist Connected To House Bill 6 Scandal Found Dead

COLUMBUS, OH — Neil Clark, an Ohio lobbyist named in a $60 million bribery investigation, was found dead in Florida this week.

Clark, 67, had pleaded not guilty to his alleged role in the House Bill 6 scandal. Prosecutors accused politicians and lobbyists of accepting and overseeing the distribution of $60 million in "dark money" to pass a bailout bill for two Ohio nuclear plants run by FirstEnergy. Clark was one of the lobbyists accused of distributing the funds and ensuring politicians voted in support of the legislation, prosecutors said.

A bicyclist found a body near a pond in Collier County, Florida on Monday, according to the Tampa Bay Times. An autopsy has not yet been completed on the body.

Will Ireland, Clark's attorney, told 10TV that the death represented the "tragic loss of a good friend."

Former U.S. Attorney David DeVillers announced charges against several politicians and lobbyists, including Clark and former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, in July 2020. He described the charges as the "largest money laundering scheme ever perpetrated against the people of Ohio."