COLUMBUS OhioHouse candidate Nick Owens listened as soon-to-be House Speaker Larry Householder took credit for a dark-money funded advertisement that helped tipthe scales in another, close House race.

Owens, from Brown County, knew that something wasn't right when Householder said that he put $500,000 into the race. Thatincluded an attack ad that incorrectly accused the Democrat of abusing his elected position during a traffic stop.

"I understand campaign finance," Owens told The Enquirer about the November 2018 meeting."You cant just dump in $500,000."

Now,Householder, political adviser Jeff Longstreth and three GOP lobbyists are the subjects of a federal investigation into a $61 million bribery scheme to elect Householder as speaker, pass a $1.3 billion bailout for two nuclear plants and defend that legislation against a ballot effort to upend it.

Part of that effort included funneling money from FirstEnergy and other donors to dark money groups, which are not required to disclose donors, and political action committees.

One of those groups, the federal investigation alleges, was a for-profit corporation run by The Batchelder Company calledHardworking Ohioans Inc. Itspent nearly $1.5 millionon TV advertisements in the 2018 general election, supporting Republicans who would ultimately support Householder's bid to lead the Ohio House of Representatives.

One of those ads was the one in the Dayton-area race between GOP Rep. J. Todd Smith and Democrat Dan Foley. That's the race Householder was touting in his meeting with Owens.

Meeting with Householder aides

Owens left the meeting in November 2018 with the understanding that Householder could spend significant money to get him elected if Owens was chosen to be a part of Team Householder in 2020.

Owens said the meeting, held at a downtown Columbus office that he believed was run by Strategy Group for Media, included Householder; Megan Fitzmartin, an employee of Longstreth's firm JPL and Associates; and Bryan Gray, now deputy chief of staff for administration in the Ohio House.

The Strategy Group, founded by GOP political consultant Rex Elsass, ran advertisements supporting the nuclear energy bailout bill and opposing the referendum, according to allegations in the complaint. The Strategy Group said it was not their office and did not participate in the meetings.

Owens, a state board of education member and longtime assistant prosecutor, took another meeting at the same office with Householder's team in February 2019. The newly elected speaker wasn't there but Longstreth, Fitzmartin and Householder fundraiser Anna Lippincott were, Owens said.

Longstreth asked where Owens stood on right-to-work, the Second Amendment, opposition to abortion and other issues typical questions of a Republican being vetted for an endorsement or support.

"I felt like it was the final bit to say youre a Householdercandidate," Owens said. "Any candidate who is running for the Legislaturewho doesnt meet with the speakers campaign arm, it is at their own peril."

Owens learned months later that he wasn't picked as the Householder candidate in the race. Householder supportedAllen Freeman. Owens and Freemanlost the three-way primaryto New Richmond superintendent Adam Bird. Freeman came in thirdplace.

Bird's victory came afterHouseholder-aligned Growth and Opportunity PAC, which is alsolisted in the federal complaint, spent $437,400 on Clermont County races alone. That included a contentious one between former U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt and Joe Dills. In attack ads, Owens was accused of being too liberal.

Calling the FBI

Owens decided to call the FBI about what he suspected to be illegal spending in his and other races. Around that time, Democratic Councilwoman Tamaya Dennard was in the news because of a federal bribery investigation.However, Owens said hewanted to wait until after the GOP primary.

When that primary was delayed because of concerns about spreading the novel coronavirus, Owens made the call in mid-March.

Soon, Owens was speaking with FBI agent Blane Wetzel, who was months into an extensive investigation of Householder and his associates' spending.

Four months later, Owens appears in one paragraph of the 81-page federal affidavit as "Individual 1." His role was first reported by Local 12.

"I didnt do it for political reasons to help win the campaign," Owens said Tuesday. "I, as a longtime prosecutor, just wanted something to be done."

Correction: An earlier article incorrectly listed where Owens lives. He is a Brown County resident.

Excerpt from:

This Republican reported Larry Householder to the FBI - The Columbus Dispatch