Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has denied allegations against him that his office participated in “pay-to-play” when selecting bids for state contracts.
The allegations, made recently in a Dayton Daily News report, alleged DeWine was receiving money from lawyers who wanted to do business with the state.
The report shows the lawyers who were assigned special cases gave a total of $1.3 million to DeWine’s campaign, the Ohio Republican Party, and to DeWine’s son’s campaign for an appellate judgeship in Hamilton County.
DeWine has denied these allegations.
“We always follow the law and provide total transparency regarding contract work,” DeWine said in an email. “Contributions do not affect my decisions on hiring law firms to do work for the state.”
The allegations against DeWine, who led a recent special grand jury investigation against Athens County Sheriff Pat Kelly, will most likely not affect the sheriff’s legal proceedings.
When asked if the allegations against DeWine could affect Kelly’s investigation, Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn said, “I have no idea how that possibly could happen.”
David Pepper, a Democratic candidate for Attorney General, has written up a plan that he believes will further guard against the attorney general’s office from engaging in pay to play.
The plan includes: posting the names of those who receive state bids on the AG’s website, establishing a board of legal professionals to screen those who apply for bids, and preventing fundraising contributions before, during and immediately after a bid selection process.
“There’s nothing amazing about my plan,” Pepper said. “What’s amazing is this (already) hasn’t gone through.”
Pepper said those in office owe it to their constituents to put in processes that guarantee transparency.
“My main goal is: what’s happening is not good and I want to fix it,” he said.
@Lucasdaprile
ld311710@ohiou.edu
This article appeared in print under the headline "DeWine denies pay to play allegations"
