Ohio Democratic lawmakers are calling for an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice into Republican Gov. Mike DeWine and Republican Lt. Gov. Jon Husted. This request follows news reports that raised concerns about the administration’s actions in response to the House Bill 6 scandal.
During a news conference on Thursday, House Minority Leader Allison Russo, a Democrat from Upper Arlington, expressed concern that the administration may have failed to take action when potentially criminal activity was brought to their attention.
Russo’s comments were influenced by recent news reports and the announcement made by Attorney General Dave Yost. Yost indicted former Public Utilities of Ohio Chairman Sam Randazzo and two former FirstEnergy executives on almost 30 state felony charges.
“We have noticed a concerning trend in recent reports, indicating a culture within the administration that willingly turned a blind eye to potential criminal activity, both within the administration itself and in its vicinity,” Russo and Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood, expressed in a letter addressed to U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker. “While we appreciate the efforts made by the Attorney General, we believe that the office may not have the ability to impartially assess the situation due to the political dynamics of Ohio’s state government. The latest news reports have shed light on additional issues within the government that only your office, with its unbiased position and ample resources, can thoroughly investigate.”
According to DeWine spokesperson Dan Tierney, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has already conducted an investigation and issued indictments four years ago. Importantly, no individuals from DeWine’s or Husted’s offices were specifically named as targets of the investigation.
“The indictment in the House Bill 6 case was announced by the U.S. Department of Justice back in the summer of 2020, almost four years ago,” stated Tierney. He criticized the organizers of the press conference and authors of the press release for assuming that the readers have either forgotten or chosen to ignore the fact that the USDOJ would have thoroughly investigated the HB 6 scandal over the past four years. Tierney further expressed his disappointment with the Ohio Democrats for suggesting that the investigation was not conducted properly. He believes that such insinuations are disrespectful not only to the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. attorney and his office but also to the dedicated law enforcement professionals who have worked tirelessly for years to obtain convictions for those involved in public corruption in Ohio. Tierney emphasized that no individuals from the Governor’s Office or the Lt. Governor’s office have ever been identified or implicated as targets in these law enforcement investigations. He concluded by stating that the Democrats’ innuendo is not supported by the factual evidence of the case.
Russo and Antonio both expressed their frustration with the administration’s lack of endorsement and the Republican-majority General Assembly’s inability to pass legislation that would completely repeal House Bill 6.
“As elected officials, we have a responsibility to prioritize the well-being of Ohioans, which includes implementing laws that restore integrity in our Legislature,” Antonio emphasized. “The Legislature, led by Republicans, let down the people of Ohio when House Bill 6 was approved, and the Republican majority is still falling short by neglecting to completely repeal House Bill 6, safeguard Ohio consumers, and put an end to the corrupt tax.”
The state’s nuclear energy companies received a billion-dollar bailout, resulting in the removal of former House Speaker Larry Householder. Householder was convicted of federal racketeering charges and is now serving a 20-year prison sentence.
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