The trial for Larry Householder, former Speaker of the Ohio House, is set to begin Friday.
Householder and four others are accused of running a criminal enterprise that took $61 million in bribes from FirstEnergy, an Akron-based Fortune 500 company, to put Householder in power and pass the bailout bill.
Two and a half years ago, federal investigators arrested and charged five men, including Householder, for alleged racketeering crimes connected to what has been called the biggest political corruption case in Ohio history.
We are taking a look at the scandal and what comes next as the trial gets underway.
Guests:
Laura Bischoff, politics and state government reporter, USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau
Herb Asher, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at The Ohio State University
David DeVillers, former United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio