Ohio Democratic Party Chair Walters Announces Accountability Measures, Demands Answers from the DeWine Administration on HB 6 Scandal
January 24, 2022
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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