Six years after he resigned, former Ohio House speaker to return to statehouse
Six years after he abruptly resigned from power, Cliff Rosenberger will return to the Ohio Statehouse to have his portrait unveiled. Former Ohio House speaker, Cliff Rosenberger, is set to return to the statehouse for the unveiling of his official portrait on the sixth anniversary of his resignation. Rosenberger resigned in 2018 amid an FBI probe into his relationship with payday lending lobbyists and a stalled pay day lending reform bill. His successor, Larry Householder, was convicted of racketeering conspiracy and sentenced to 20 years in prison. After Householder's downfall, statehouse curators removed his portrait from the House chambers. No word yet on where Rosenberger's portrait will be located.
Published : a month ago by Laura A. Bischoff in Politics
On the sixth anniversary of his resignation as Ohio House speaker, Cliff Rosenberger will return to the statehouse for the unveiling his official portrait, his attorney said.
It has been a long journey for the Clarksville Republican.
In 2015, Rosenberger rose to power in an era of term limits, where legislative newcomers can quickly make their name. But he abruptly resigned in April 2018 under the cloud of an FBI probe into his travel with payday lending lobbyists. A pay day lending reform bill stalled in the Ohio House.
FBI agents searched his home and storage unit and seized items from his state office.
In the intervening years, though, Rosenberger has never been charged with any crimes. Instead, one of his successors as speaker, Perry County Republican Larry Householder, was convicted in federal court of racketeering conspiracy and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
After Householder's downfall, statehouse curators removed his portrait that had been hanging outside the House chambers. It's now tucked away in a storage room in the basement.
No word yet on where Rosenberger's portrait will go. That decision will be up to House Speaker Jason Stephens and House Clerk Brad Young.
While serving as speaker, Householder ordered the removal of former Speaker JoAnn Davidson's portrait from the House chambers.
Davidson is the only woman in Ohio history to hold any of the big three political positions − except for Nancy Hollister who served as governor for 11 days. Householder long held a grudge against Davidson stretching back to the late 1990s when she backed someone else for speaker over him.
Portraits of governors, senate presidents, house speakers and other politicos are generally paid for with donations.
Laura Bischoff is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.