WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The man at the center of the biggest political corruption scandal in Ohio history is working on opening a bar in West Palm Beach connected to famous DJ Diplo.
Juan Cespedes pled guilty in October 2020 to participating in a racketeering conspiracy involving more than $60 million.
Prosecutors said Cespedes was paid by a utility company to move political donations to a third-party organization, which then used the money to get Larry Householder elected as Ohio House Speaker in exchange for passing a bill that provided a billion-dollar bailout to save two failing Ohio nuclear power plants from closing.
According to the Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches’ website, Cespedes is listed as the West Palm Cowboy Club’s representative. The bar, which is set to open next year and has a country theme, would become the only celebrity-backed hospitality venture on West Palm Beach’s main entertainment strip called Clematis Street.
Christopher Muller, who is a professor at the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Florida International University, said these types of celebrity-backed restaurants have an edge and can act as a magnet to bring more people to the downtown area. He said those types of customers can also “bar hop” to other nearby restaurants and bars around the area.
“It’s a great marketing tool,” Muller said. “Because you bring in that celebrity's entire fanbase and now with social media it’s really a powerful way to reach a large market very quickly.”
He also said if the bar is successful, then it could attract other celebrity-backed restaurants and bars.
Cespedes said he’s just a consultant on the project. He declined to answer questions on record, but he also said he’s grateful for the opportunity as he awaits sentencing while the Ohio bribery case is still an open investigation.
“My work centers on building strategic brand partnerships, evaluating the West Palm Beach entertainment area, and uncovering civic and philanthropic opportunities that support community engagement,” Cespedes wrote.
Representatives for Diplo didn’t immediately answer WPTV’s questions about their knowledge of Cespedes’ past. The Chamber of Commerce’s website also lists Brian Swanson as a representative for the bar, who is listed as the manager on state business records.
Various public records show Swanson owns multiple restaurants within the Columbus area.
