Are Ohio politicians worried about Neil Clark's book?
Lead Summary
By
Rory Ryan-hcpress@cinci.rr.com
On March 15, 2021 (beware the Ides of March), well-known Ohio lobbyist Neil S. Clark was found dead in Collier County, Fla. He was 67.
While Clark's death has been widely reported in The Highland County Press and most other media across the state, what's been overlooked by some is the fact that Clark has written a recently released memoir, “What Do I Know? I’m Just a Lobbyist,” that may have many Ohio politicians – past and present – more than a bit nervous, perhaps especially some of those associated with the controversial Ohio House Bill 6.
According to published excerpts from Clark's book by The Columbus Dispatch and Cleveland.com, Clark wrote: “I gave [federal agents] enough to fill their gaps and prove my knowledge,” regarding his meeting with authorities on July 28, 2020, just days after his arrest on a federal racketeering charge.
Clark offers more than 100 pages concerning House Bill 6.
He also delivers more than a few jabs at many notable Ohio politicians – including those of the career kind.
For background and as previously reported in The Highland County Press, the U.S. Court Southern District of Ohio announced charges in “a federal racketeering conspiracy involving approximately $60 million paid to a 501(c)(4) entity to pass and uphold a billion-dollar nuclear plant bailout” on July 22, 2020.
Clark, a longtime Columbus lobbyist who owned and operated Grant Street Consultants and previously served as budget director for the Ohio Republican Caucus, was among those charged, along with then-Speaker of the House Larry Householder; lobbyist Mathew Borges of Bexley; Householder’s longtime campaign and political strategist Jeffrey Longstreth of Columbus; and Juan Cespedes of Columbus, a multi-client lobbyist. Generation Now, a corporate entity registered as a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization, was also charged.
Longstreth and Cespedes each entered guilty pleas last fall, and Generation Now also pleaded guilty. Longstreth signed the plea agreement on behalf of Generation Now, court records show. According to reports, Longstreth also managed the Republican primary campaign for State Rep. Shane Wilkin, R-Hillsboro, who was a co-sponsor of House Bill 6, along with State Rep. Jamie Callender, a Lake County Republican.
Federal investigators alleged that Generation Now was incorporated in 2017 as a 501(4), a “social welfare entity purporting to promote energy independence and economic development,” but was secretly controlled by Householder.
Last month, enough members of the Ohio House of Representatives voted to remove Householder. The vote was 75-21 to remove Householder. They needed a two-thirds majority or 75 of the House's 99 members.
Wilkin and Callender joined Householder in voting against his expulsion for three of those 21 votes. (Neither Wilkin nor Callender face charges. They were just piano players at the Long Branch Saloon.)
The only other Ohio state rep to be expelled was John Slough, a Hamilton County Democrat, who punched Republican Darius Cadwell of Ashtabula County on the House floor in 1857.
As reported, millions of dollars from the electric company known in the federal complaint as “Company A” were allegedly used to support Householder’s bid to become House speaker, which he did, and to support House candidates who backed Householder.
In its plea, Generation Now admitted to conspiring with Householder and the other defendants. Longstreth signed the plea agreement on behalf of Generation Now, court records show.
“As part of the conspiracy, Generation Now was organized at Householder’s discretion for the benefit of Householder and the Householder enterprise, knowing that the purpose of Generation Now was for it to be used as a mechanism to receive undisclosed donations to benefit Householder and to advance Householder's efforts to become speaker of the House of Representatives,” Generation Now admitted, according to court records.
“As part of the conspiracy Generation Now received money from Company A (as defined in the indictment) for the benefit of the defendants and others in return for specific official action by Householder relating to the passage and preservation of legislation that would go into effect and save the operation of two nuclear power plants; and Generation Now engaged in financial transactions that were designed to conceal the nature, source, ownership and control of the payments made by Company A to Generation Now," the court records stated.
Generation Now's plea agreement calls for it to plead guilty to one count of racketeering, the seizure of nearly $1.5 million from two bank accounts and a sentence of five years' probation.
Clark, however, pleaded not guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Litkovitz on Aug. 6, 2020. He maintained that not guilty plea until his March 15, 2021 demise.
According to reports on his book, Clark questioned why a number of powerful Ohio politicians have been spared – thus far – federal scrutiny.
Clark cited Sam Randazzo as one example. Clark called Randazzo “the author of HB 6.” Records provided to the FBI in response to a subpoena confirm that, showing Randazzo was involved in writing portions of the bill.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine selected Randazzo in 2019 to lead the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.
Randazzo resigned after federal agents searched his home in November 2020.
According to https://www.amazon.com/, Clark lobbied for more than "2,000 clients and directed scores of successful campaigns for candidates and statewide ballot issues. He received two 'Telly' awards and a 'Silver Anvil' from the Public Relations Society of America for his political campaign work. He served as an adjunct professor of public administration at Ohio University and as a program analyst for the Ohio Legislative Budget Office. He also served as chief operating officer of the Ohio Senate Republican Caucus.
When contacted by The Columbus Dispatch and Cleveland.com, most Ohio politicians declined to comment or discredited Clark's book out of hand. I suspect those responses are more politically expedient than the "hands-on-the-Bible" unvarnished truth and nothing but the truth.
In fact, I think those publicly denouncing Clark's book most likely have employed their respective attorneys to comb through it, page by page. They're reading it – at least in my opinion.
In all honesty, I have not read Clark's book. But I will soon. I ordered a copy on Amazon this week. It's tough to imagine that Neil Clark's final words – with his knowledge that these were indeed his final words, on the Ides of March, no less – would be anything less than truthful to the best of his memory.
Rory Ryan is publisher and owner of The Highland County Press.
Note: Neil Clark's book is available at: https://www.amazon.com/What-Do-Know-Just-Lobbyist/dp/1736371304/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=what+do+i+know%3A+i%27m+just+a+lobbyist&qid=1625500927&sr=8-1.
While Clark's death has been widely reported in The Highland County Press and most other media across the state, what's been overlooked by some is the fact that Clark has written a recently released memoir, “What Do I Know? I’m Just a Lobbyist,” that may have many Ohio politicians – past and present – more than a bit nervous, perhaps especially some of those associated with the controversial Ohio House Bill 6.
According to published excerpts from Clark's book by The Columbus Dispatch and Cleveland.com, Clark wrote: “I gave [federal agents] enough to fill their gaps and prove my knowledge,” regarding his meeting with authorities on July 28, 2020, just days after his arrest on a federal racketeering charge.
Clark offers more than 100 pages concerning House Bill 6.
He also delivers more than a few jabs at many notable Ohio politicians – including those of the career kind.
For background and as previously reported in The Highland County Press, the U.S. Court Southern District of Ohio announced charges in “a federal racketeering conspiracy involving approximately $60 million paid to a 501(c)(4) entity to pass and uphold a billion-dollar nuclear plant bailout” on July 22, 2020.
Clark, a longtime Columbus lobbyist who owned and operated Grant Street Consultants and previously served as budget director for the Ohio Republican Caucus, was among those charged, along with then-Speaker of the House Larry Householder; lobbyist Mathew Borges of Bexley; Householder’s longtime campaign and political strategist Jeffrey Longstreth of Columbus; and Juan Cespedes of Columbus, a multi-client lobbyist. Generation Now, a corporate entity registered as a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization, was also charged.
Longstreth and Cespedes each entered guilty pleas last fall, and Generation Now also pleaded guilty. Longstreth signed the plea agreement on behalf of Generation Now, court records show. According to reports, Longstreth also managed the Republican primary campaign for State Rep. Shane Wilkin, R-Hillsboro, who was a co-sponsor of House Bill 6, along with State Rep. Jamie Callender, a Lake County Republican.
Federal investigators alleged that Generation Now was incorporated in 2017 as a 501(4), a “social welfare entity purporting to promote energy independence and economic development,” but was secretly controlled by Householder.
Last month, enough members of the Ohio House of Representatives voted to remove Householder. The vote was 75-21 to remove Householder. They needed a two-thirds majority or 75 of the House's 99 members.
Wilkin and Callender joined Householder in voting against his expulsion for three of those 21 votes. (Neither Wilkin nor Callender face charges. They were just piano players at the Long Branch Saloon.)
The only other Ohio state rep to be expelled was John Slough, a Hamilton County Democrat, who punched Republican Darius Cadwell of Ashtabula County on the House floor in 1857.
As reported, millions of dollars from the electric company known in the federal complaint as “Company A” were allegedly used to support Householder’s bid to become House speaker, which he did, and to support House candidates who backed Householder.
In its plea, Generation Now admitted to conspiring with Householder and the other defendants. Longstreth signed the plea agreement on behalf of Generation Now, court records show.
“As part of the conspiracy, Generation Now was organized at Householder’s discretion for the benefit of Householder and the Householder enterprise, knowing that the purpose of Generation Now was for it to be used as a mechanism to receive undisclosed donations to benefit Householder and to advance Householder's efforts to become speaker of the House of Representatives,” Generation Now admitted, according to court records.
“As part of the conspiracy Generation Now received money from Company A (as defined in the indictment) for the benefit of the defendants and others in return for specific official action by Householder relating to the passage and preservation of legislation that would go into effect and save the operation of two nuclear power plants; and Generation Now engaged in financial transactions that were designed to conceal the nature, source, ownership and control of the payments made by Company A to Generation Now," the court records stated.
Generation Now's plea agreement calls for it to plead guilty to one count of racketeering, the seizure of nearly $1.5 million from two bank accounts and a sentence of five years' probation.
Clark, however, pleaded not guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Litkovitz on Aug. 6, 2020. He maintained that not guilty plea until his March 15, 2021 demise.
According to reports on his book, Clark questioned why a number of powerful Ohio politicians have been spared – thus far – federal scrutiny.
Clark cited Sam Randazzo as one example. Clark called Randazzo “the author of HB 6.” Records provided to the FBI in response to a subpoena confirm that, showing Randazzo was involved in writing portions of the bill.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine selected Randazzo in 2019 to lead the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.
Randazzo resigned after federal agents searched his home in November 2020.
According to https://www.amazon.com/, Clark lobbied for more than "2,000 clients and directed scores of successful campaigns for candidates and statewide ballot issues. He received two 'Telly' awards and a 'Silver Anvil' from the Public Relations Society of America for his political campaign work. He served as an adjunct professor of public administration at Ohio University and as a program analyst for the Ohio Legislative Budget Office. He also served as chief operating officer of the Ohio Senate Republican Caucus.
When contacted by The Columbus Dispatch and Cleveland.com, most Ohio politicians declined to comment or discredited Clark's book out of hand. I suspect those responses are more politically expedient than the "hands-on-the-Bible" unvarnished truth and nothing but the truth.
In fact, I think those publicly denouncing Clark's book most likely have employed their respective attorneys to comb through it, page by page. They're reading it – at least in my opinion.
In all honesty, I have not read Clark's book. But I will soon. I ordered a copy on Amazon this week. It's tough to imagine that Neil Clark's final words – with his knowledge that these were indeed his final words, on the Ides of March, no less – would be anything less than truthful to the best of his memory.
Rory Ryan is publisher and owner of The Highland County Press.
Note: Neil Clark's book is available at: https://www.amazon.com/What-Do-Know-Just-Lobbyist/dp/1736371304/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=what+do+i+know%3A+i%27m+just+a+lobbyist&qid=1625500927&sr=8-1.