Westlake Republican Got Texts Seeking Bailout Support: Report

WESTLAKE, OHIO – A Westlake Republican who was pushing to repeal a nuclear bailout bill received text messages from the former House Speaker pressuring him for his support for the passage of the bill, according to records that were released this week.

State Rep. Dave Greenspan received a text message of May 2019 from former Speaker Larry Householder seeking his vote for a bill that is now wrapped up in a $60 million bribery probe, according to media reports. Cleveland.com was the first media outlet to report the text message conversation before the Ohio House of Representatives released the text messages on Thursday, according to the Associated Press.

Householder and four others were accused by federal prosecutors in July of using energy company money for personal and political use in an attempt to pass the legislation and squash efforts to repeal the bill. All five men have pleaded not guilty.

The bill would have sent more than $1 million to two nuclear plants in Cleveland and Toledo owned by Energy Harbor, which is a former subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., the Associated Press reported. First Energy denies any wrongdoing.

In the text message to Greenspan, Householder – according to reports – wrote, “I really need you to vote yes on HB6, it means a lot to me,” reports said.

At the time, Greenspan was sitting in an interview with FBI officials, according to the criminal complaint, which identifies Greenspan as “Representative 7”, media reports said. Greenspan responded to the text message by telling Householder he would not support the speaker’s efforts, citing “significant challenges.”

Householder responded, “I just want you to remember – when I needed you, you weren’t there – twice.”

According to reports, Greenspan showed federal agents the text message along with screenshots of previous communication between himself and Householder. The criminal complaint indicates that Greenspan was being pressured by an unnamed person with connections to Householder to delete the messages.

“Standing up for what one believes to be right, even against opposing political headwinds, is the cornerstone of honorable representation," Greenspan said in a statement Thursday, according to the AP.