State Rep. Al Cutrona said the more than $40,000 he received in campaign contributions from Ohio House members who opposed the expulsion of Larry Householder had nothing to do with his decision to vote against it.

“Donating money doesn’t mean any obligation to that person or that group,” said Cutrona, R-Canfield, who was among the 21 House members who voted against Householder’s expulsion. “I received a considerable donation from the Ohio Republican Party that well exceeded those members. Some members (who gave me contributions) voted to expel Householder. It was split between my donors.”

In the 2020 campaign, Cutrona received $239,150.41 in in-kind contributions from the state party, which took over fundraising of House races after Householder’s indictment and removal as speaker. Householder is accused in a bribery scheme tied to a bailout for Ohio’s two nuclear power plants.

Read MORE about the campaign funding in Sunday’s VINDICATOR.