COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTVN)--The Ohio House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to expel fellow house member Larry Householder, following his indictment last year on federal bribery charges.
Prosecutors allege Householder and four others collected money from a utility subsidiary in an effort to pass a bailout of the state's two nuclear power plants, via a surcharge on Ohioan's electric bills.
Ahead of Wednesday's vote, Householder maintained his innocence, and argued that house members didn't have the right to remove him from his position. The vote in the house was 75-21 in favor of expulsion.
Householder was removed from his position as Speaker of the Ohio House, shortly after his indictment, but won re-election to his 72nd District House seat in November.
It's only the 2nd time in Ohio history a member of the house has been expelled.