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For Immediate Release:

Thursday, January 27, 2022

Columbus, OH — In case you missed it, while Dave Yost doesn’t have a vote on the Redistricting Commission, he couldn’t miss out on being part of the GOP gerrymander. Today, the Ohio Capital Journal reported on Yost blocking Democrats on the Redistricting Commission from seeking out their own legal representation to push back against the unconstitutional maps passed by Republicans. This move by Yost forces Democrats to be lumped in with the GOP commissioners who voted for maps that go against the wishes of Ohio voters.

By silencing Democrats’ dissent to the map, Yost is joining his fellow Republicans in their scheme to push through maps that go against redistricting reforms Ohioans overwhelmingly called for, another example of Yost putting his political interests over the needs of working Ohioans.

“It looks like the Republican Party is drafting everyone into their fight against fair maps. Dave Yost has always been a purely political actor, and this latest move is no different. If Yost believes the maps are constitutional, why is he doing everything he can to avoid defending them?” said Ohio Democratic Party spokesperson Matt Keyes.

Read more here:

• The ranking Democrat in the Ohio House said Attorney General Dave Yost has blocked her from legal representation as the Ohio Supreme Court reviews the latest redistricting proposal from state lawmakers.
• Democrats on the commission have previously been represented by their own counsel and submitted their own arguments — distinct from Republicans on the committee.
• House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Columbus, said in a statement Wednesday however that Yost has since blocked them from their legal representation. This comes as a deadline looms for the state officials to respond to objections to the GOP-approved map submitted for the court’s review.
• Through spokeswoman Maya Majikas, Russo said Yost is “denying” her “the ability to consult with her legal counsel,” two attorneys with the Ice Miller law firm in Columbus retained through the attorney general’s office.
• Yost seemed to confirm Russo’s central claim through spokeswoman Bethany McCorkle on Wednesday evening. “The Ohio Supreme Court ordered the Commission to draw a new map, which is why one counsel will respond to the court on behalf of the entire commission,” McCorkle said. “None of the individual members will respond separately.”
• The commission itself is represented by two lawyers. The statewide officeholders and Republicans on the commission have their own lawyers as well. Even if, as Yost said, the commission’s members don’t respond individually, it’s likely that Republicans who control it will likely shape its arguments.

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For Immediate Release:

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Columbus, OH — Following ODP’s announcement Monday that the party is prepared to file suit if Mike DeWine continues stonewalling Ohioans on answers to questions about the HB 6 bribery scandal, DeWine this week kept up his pattern of hiding from the truth and avoiding accountability by refusing to answer questions on how Ohioans’ taxpayer dollars are being spent.

Cleveland.com and the Columbus Dispatch have reported on DeWine’s refusal to answer questions about how Ohioans’ hard-earned tax dollars are being spent, once again relying on ‘no comment’ as his 2022 campaign slogan.

It’s just the latest in a long line of questions that Ohioans are waiting for answers to, including what he knew and when amid the largest public corruption scandal in state history, whether he supports legislation to make Ohioans less safe from gun violence and why his son shouldn’t recuse himself from an Ohio Supreme Court case in which the governor himself is named. DeWine is deep underwater with Ohio voters and finds himself stuck between appeasing an extreme legislature that wants to push him further to the right (rock) and knowing those moves will make him even more unpopular with Ohio voters (hard place).

“For a guy running for office, Mike DeWine seems to spend a lot of his time hiding, dodging and ducking. On issues critical to Ohio families ranging from the largest public corruption scandal in state history to gerrymandered maps to taxpayer incentives, DeWine’s refusal to answer questions shows just how out of touch he really is,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokesperson Matt Keyes.

Read more on what Mike DeWine refuses to answer here and below:

Cleveland.com

• And DeWine and other state officials refused to say Friday how much in additional tax credits and other incentives Ohio has promised Intel, although they have pointed to a state change that for “mega-projects” worth more than $1 billion, added another 15 years to the maximum length of tax credits officials can offer.
• While remaining nonspecific about the incentives, Husted described the project a good return on Ohio’s investment that will create an entire industry sector of semiconductor manufacturing and related suppliers around the state.

Columbus Dispatch

• Gov. Mike DeWine was quick to share how his wife’s version of eggs benedict helped bring the world’s largest semiconductor factory to Ohio, but the administration has remained tight lipped about how much money it promised Intel to secure the deal.
• But the governor declined to answer questions about the specific incentives Ohio offered to Intel to make the Buckeye State more attractive than 39 other states that competed for the project.
• Companies – like Intel – that invest at least $1 billion in the state now get 30 years worth of job creation tax credits instead of 15. Based on the number of employees Intel expects to hire, that could be a $660 million savings over 30 years. 
• It’s also likely that JobsOhio, a nonprofit, contributed some of its cash as part of the state’s incentive package. But when asked for specifics, a spokesperson said they aren’t disclosing the details yet.

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Columbus, OH — According to a new Axios report, Ohio Republican Senate candidates have taken to attacking Gov. Mike DeWine as a litmus test for Trump’s endorsement.

Josh Mandel started attacking DeWine first – and in order to compete with Mandel – Jane Timken, Bernie Moreno, and J.D. Vance have all changed their opinion on DeWine, which could become a liability for them in “Ohio’s ugliest ever” primary. This follows a report from Politico highlighting the “intra-party rebellion” DeWine faces and a new poll showing DeWine underwater with Republican primary voters.

“Ohio Republican Senate candidates are so laser-focused on escalating Trump’s petty feuds, they have left the priorities of working families far behind. This latest intraparty brawl puts the Ohio GOP on a collision course that will expose the vulnerabilities of the entire party and hobble the eventual nominees for both the governor and Senate races,” said Michael Beyer, a spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party.

Axios: Ohio Senate candidates attack ‘RINO’ gov in bid for Trump endorsement

Sophia Cai

January 25, 2022

• Bashing Republican Gov. Mike DeWine for his work to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 has become a litmus test for Republican Senate candidates in Ohio vying for Donald Trump’s endorsement.
• Why it matters: The intra-party attacks underscore how opposition to masking and COVID mandates has snowballed into a powerful political force, not just at the federal level but also in state races.
• What we’re watching: Former Ohio state Treasurer Josh Mandel — the early front-runner in the crowded and expensive GOP Senate primary — was the first to make attacking DeWine a regular part of his stump speech.
  • “Unfortunately, Republican governor, ‘RINO’ Gov. DeWine, decided he was going to lead the charge in shutting down Ohio before any state in the nation,” Mandel said last March, using the acronym for “Republican in Name Only.”
  • DeWine, who took early actions to lock down his state, was among a small group of Republican officials who didn’t fall into lockstep with former President Trump when it came to the pandemic response.
  • DeWine is up for re-election this year. Trump has yet to endorse in the Senate race, but its candidates are auditioning, in part, at the governor’s expense.

• Other Republican Senate candidates — who’ve all supported DeWine in the past — have since changed their positions to compete with Mandel.
• They’re all vying for the seat of Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who’s retiring.
  • Former Ohio GOP Chair Jane Timken and tech company executive Bernie Moreno both moved from praising DeWine at the start of the lockdown to taking markedly less-supportive stances.
  • As Moreno stated during one of several Republican forums where DeWine’s name repeatedly came up, “It’s one of the most popular things to do on this circuit, to say nasty things about DeWine.”
  • Author and venture capitalist J.D. Vance endorsed DeWine for governor in 2018 but said after he entered the Senate race that DeWine “has not done enough to really protect the interests of children throughout the pandemic.”
  • Even DeWine’s gubernatorial opponent, former Rep. Jim Renacci (R-Ohio), said in a statement, “If Mike DeWine won’t support families and keep these schools open, then he should step aside and let someone who actually cares take the lead.”
• Between the lines: Opposing DeWine could be another way for the candidates jockeying for Trump’s endorsement to signal their loyalty.
  • Last year, the former president hosted a “Hunger Games”-style dinner where he was fixated on the Republican Senate candidates’ opinion of DeWine.
  • Politico reported Mandel “said the governor was politically vulnerable” but Timken argued “he’d be hard to beat.”
• What they’re saying: Asked about the attacks, DeWine told local Fox affiliate WJW, “Yeah, well, none of them are running for governor — first of all. They’re running for Senate, and we’ll see who emerges from that.”
  • The Ohio Democratic Party jumped on the feuding.
  • “In order to chase Trump’s endorsement, all of the leading GOP Senate candidates are willing to escalate Trump’s petty feud with Mike DeWine that will only deepen the divisions within the Republican Party heading into 2022,” party spokesperson Michael Beyer told Axios.
• What’s next: Axios Columbus reporter Tyler Buchanan said pro-DeWine ads are starting to run on the airwaves.
  • That’s a noteworthy effort to promote the governor after the public beatings he’s taken from Republican lawmakers, candidates and voters during the past two years.
  • Meanwhile, Mandel will be appearing at a state GOP event this Friday alongside Renacci.

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For Immediate Release:

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Columbus, OH — In case you missed it, Ohio Democratic Party (ODP) Chair Elizabeth Walters held a statewide virtual press conference Monday demanding answers on behalf of Ohio voters about what Mike DeWine and Jon Husted knew and when about the House Bill 6 scandal, the largest public corruption scandal in state history.

On the call, Chair Walters outlined new public records the party will seek in an attempt to get answers from the DeWine administration. If the DeWine administration continues to stonewall, as they have with previous records requests, the party is prepared to sue.

“The HB 6 scandal is more than just a bad bill. It’s a sign of just how corrupt our statehouse has become, from the top-down. Republican politicians think that they can get away with raising the costs of Ohioans’ energy bills, taking millions of dollars in bribes and ‘no commenting’ their way out of the scandal. Not on our watch,” said Walters.

Read more about how media is covering Monday’s announcement:

The Toledo Blade: Dems trying again to pry HB 6 info out of DeWine administration

Tom Henry

“Ohio Democratic Party Chair Liz Walters told reporters Monday that the party is filing a new round of public records requests in an attempt to learn what Gov. Mike DeWine, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, and other administration officials might have known about House Bill 6 allegations before former House Speaker Larry Householder and others were indicted in July of 2020.

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“‘More than 1.5 years later, a lot of questions remain,’ she said. ‘The thing that sticks with me the most is we can’t even get the courtesy of a response from the DeWine administration.’

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“The party is prepared to file suit if there is no response within 30 days, Ms. Walters said.

Spectrum News 1: Ohio Dems Pressing DeWine Administration on HB6

Josh Rultenberg

“The Ohio Democratic Party threatened legal action against the DeWine administration if it doesn’t respond to a public records request regarding House Bill 6. 

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“[T]hey are submitting requests that they initially put in last October asking for communication between Governor Mike Dewine, Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted, their staffs and special interests groups tied to House Bill 6. 

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“[T]hose requests have gone unanswered for at least 90 days. And now the party is giving the administration 30 more days before it says it will file suit.

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 “The days of hiding behind “no comments” and stalling on fulfilling records requests that Ohioans have the right by law to obtain is over. Working Ohioans don’t get to pick and choose what rules they follow and neither should their elected officials. And that’s what we’re fighting for.”

WCMH Columbus: Ohio Democrats Demand Answers When it Comes to House Bill 6

Andrea Henderson

“The push for answers continues when it comes to the scandal that has consumed the state, House Bill 6. 

“[T]he Ohio Democratic Party [is] announcing a new round of public record requests to demand answers from Governor DeWine about House Bill 6, including any communications between the governor and those involved in the scandal and the visitor’s log from the governor’s office and mansion.

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“The HB 6 scandal is more than just a bad bill. It’s a sign of just how corrupt our state government has become from the top down.

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“Five people are facing federal charges in the case, including former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder.”

Ohio Public Radio: Ohio Democratic Party threatens to sue DeWine administration over records requests

Andy Chow

“Ohio Democratic Party Chair Liz Walters says it’s been 100 days since the party first requested records among DeWine and his administration related to the nuclear power plant bailout and the appointment of a state regulator later accused of taking a bribe from utility company FirstEnergy.

…

“‘And so as long as those questions remain unanswered, that begs the question of what else are they hiding? Where else can we be getting information? Why aren’t they responding to our request? It sounds like they’re trying to protect themselves and others, and that is not a just response for the voters of Ohio.’

The Ohio Democratic Party says it’s seeking more information through its records requests ‘on behalf of Ohioans on what exactly took place leading up to the $60 million bribery scheme and who knew what and when.’”

WKBN Youngstown: Democrats request DeWine records amid bribery scandal

Lorie Barber

“Monday morning the Ohio Democratic Party announced a new round of public record requests, with the legislation at the center of the largest bribery scandal in state history.

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“‘We will not stand idly by and wait for Mike DeWine to stall. If these public records requests are not fulfilled in a timely manner, the Ohio Democratic Party is prepared to file a lawsuit demanding their release.’”

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For Immediate Release:

Monday, January 24, 2022

Columbus, OH — Today, Ohio Democratic Party (ODP) Chair Elizabeth Walters held a statewide virtual press conference to announce a new round of public records requests as the party demands answers on behalf of Ohio voters about the largest public corruption scandal in state history.

Chair Walters outlined new records the party will seek in an attempt to get answers from the DeWine administration. Most importantly, the Ohio Democratic Party announced next steps if the administration continues to hide and “no comment” its way around the HB 6 scandal, including possible legal action.

“We will not stand idly by and wait for Mike DeWine to stall. If these public records requests are not fulfilled in a timely manner, the Ohio Democratic Party is prepared to file a lawsuit demanding their release,” said Chair Walters.

You can watch the full news conference HERE:

Since October, the party has been working on getting answers to who knew what and when about the HB 6 bribery scandal, but have been stonewalled at every turn by the DeWine administration, leaving public records requests unanswered for over one hundred days.

“The more they try to hide and ignore our requests on the public’s behalf, the more we’re going to keep pushing for answers and accountability that Ohio voters deserve. Even in court if we have to,” said Chair Walters.

Public records requests submitted by the party today include:

• Any communications among Mike DeWine, Jon Husted and their staff and special interest groups tied to the HB 6 scandal.
• Any communications between those individuals and individuals who are implicated in the scandal.
• Any communications involving Sam Randazzo’s appointment to the Public Utilities Commission.
• Any communications between DeWine/Husted and statewide officeholders regarding HB 6.
• The demotion of Laurel Dawson & the resignation of Dan McCarthy.

The party also resubmitted previous public records requests today that include: a visitor’s log from the governor’s office and the governor’s mansion; any vetting of Sam Randazzo; and communications between Mike DeWine’s staff and FirstEnergy.

The party will provide updates to the media and Ohio voters as the process plays out and as we continue to demand accountability from people in power.

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