Ohio GOP lawmakers to meet to determine Householder's fate

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Republican state representatives in Ohio planned to meet Tuesday for the first time since their leader was arrested in connection with a $60 million federal bribery probe to discuss whether to remove disgraced House Speaker Larry Householder and what the investigation's fallout might mean for their fall legislative campaigns.

The meeting in a downtown hotel is open to all members of the House Republican Caucus, said Majority Floor Leader Bill Seitz, a Cincinnati Republican who helped organize the gathering. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a fellow Republican; Jane Timken, chair of the Ohio Republican Party; the clerk of the Ohio House and the lawyer for House Republicans' campaign committee are also invited, Seitz said.

“The important thing is to follow the appropriate process and in a calm and logical manner,” Seitz said. “We're trying to do what's right.”

Seitz added that they’ll take a secret ballot on whether Householder should be removed.

The meeting follows the release of a federal affidavit Wednesday identifying Householder and four associates as part of an alleged pay-to-play scheme involving millions of dollars of corporate money secretly funneled to them for personal and political use in exchange for passing legislation to bail out two FirstEnergy nuclear plants.

House Republicans plan to discuss whether Householder should be removed, what the mechanics are for his removal, and any legal consequences they may face, said state Rep. Rick Carfagna, one of at least four Republicans interested in succeeding Householder. Members are also concerned about how to finance their campaigns for the November election since Householder controlled most of the campaign cash.

The calls for Householder's resignation have crescendoed in recent days, with even fellow Republican Gov. Mike...