The attorney general on cases involving former House Republican Speaker Larry Householder and suspended Cincinnati Democratic councilor PG Sittenfeld speaks of his work after resigning at President Biden’s request last month.
Former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Ohio David DeVillers said more new charges and charges are possible in the case involving the Nuclear Rescue Act and former spokesman Larry Householder (R-Glenford), and in the case, involving the Cincinnati City Council and suspended member PG Sittenfeld. a democrat.
In an interview for The State of Ohio, DeVillers said there is still a lot of corruption, but he hopes these big cases will deter those in power who might ever consider trading money for a deal.
“I hope this investigation and law enforcement action really helps the next generation of politicians and officials,” DeVillers said. “And that, you know, the idea that you can accept money with a ‘wink, wink, nudge, nudge’ promise to do something in your capacity as a politician or as a civil servant for money – whether it’s in your pocket goes or not whether it goes to your campaign fund – if you make that promise in return, it’s a crime that has always been a federal crime. And I think this culture of people who come into service thinks, ” Oh, that’s the way it should be, ‘hopefully it becomes clear now that it is not so. “
DeVillers said it usually takes nine months to a year to get from indictment to trial. However, COVID has suspended legal proceedings, which means it will take longer than usual to resolve these important cases.
When DeVillers announced the arrests of Householder and four others in July, as well as the involvement of a dark money group and a utility company reputed as FirstEnergy, he said the $ 60 million case was “probably the largest bribery and money laundering system ever against the people was perpetrated. ” of the state of Ohio. “
The head of household and former Ohio Republican Party chairman Matt Borges have both said they are innocent. Two other defendants and the dark money group Generation Now have concluded plea agreements. FirstEnergy is the target of several studies. And last week, lobbyist Neil Clark, who had also said he was not guilty, was found dead in a wooded area near his Florida home with his gun nearby.
DeVillers was the first public figure to announce Clark’s death at a meeting of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel Governing Board.
DeVillers said he offered condolences to Clark’s family and that “the case will continue with the other co-defendants. It is a tragic event, but the investigation and prosecution continue.”
DeVillers was also hired to investigate Bowling Green State University’s suspected sophomore death, Stone Foltz. He died earlier this month after an off-campus event organized by Pi Kappa Alpha that reportedly involved a large amount of alcohol.
DeVillers said Bowling Green is a state university, but state investigators also have the power to go beyond what local law enforcement can do.
“There are a lot of different things they can investigate beyond criminal matters, not least to try to avoid it or to reduce the possibility of it recurring. And there are Code violations, School Code violations, and some other matters. “
DeVillers said he wanted to stay as a U.S. attorney but went along with 55 others in a mass resignation requested by President Biden last month. He’s now with a law firm in Columbus.
There’s a story of former federal attorneys and former U.S. attorneys running for office – Chris Christie, Eliot Spitzer, Rudy Giuliani, Doug Jones, and Dick Thornburg, to name a few. Could DeVillers join them?
“I would love to be an incumbent. I just want to run for office. I don’t know the concept of fundraising,” DeVillers said. “I understand it’s what you have to do and in order to do that. And it’s not something I’m built for.”
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