Lobbyist in $60 million Ohio bribery probe found dead in Florida

Neil Clark, who faces federal charges, was found dead near a pond in Collier County,

In this May 27, 2004 photo Paul Tipps, left, and Neil Clark, standing, pose in their office in Columbus, Ohio. Clark, a longtime Ohio lobbyist, who had pleaded not guilty in a sweeping federal bribery investigation, was found dead, Monday, March 15, 2021. Clark had pleaded not guilty in August over an alleged role in a $60 million scheme to funnel money from FirstEnergy companies through a network of dark money entities to then-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder in exchange for the passage of a $1 billion nuclear bailout bill. He parlayed his Senate work initially into a powerhouse bipartisan lobbying partnership with the late Tipps, a former chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party. — In this May 27, 2004 photo Paul Tipps, left, and Neil Clark, standing, pose in their office in Columbus, Ohio. Clark, a longtime Ohio lobbyist, who had pleaded not guilty in a sweeping federal bribery investigation, was found dead, Monday, March 15, 2021. Clark had pleaded not guilty in August over an alleged role in a $60 million scheme to funnel money from FirstEnergy companies through a network of dark money entities to then-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder in exchange for the passage of a $1 billion nuclear bailout bill. He parlayed his Senate work initially into a powerhouse bipartisan lobbying partnership with the late Tipps, a former chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party. [ JAY LAPRETE | AP ]

Associated Press

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