Ohio speaker sued by members of his own party

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Speaker of the Ohio House Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) is being sued by three members of his party. Reps. Phil Plummer (R-Dayton), Derek Merrin (R-Monclova), and Ron Ferguson (R-Wintersville) are suing Stephens and Rep. Jeff LaRe (R-Violet Township) over campaign finance account disputes. The complaint, which can be read below, was [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Speaker of the Ohio House Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) is being sued by three members of his party.

Reps. Phil Plummer (R-Dayton), Derek Merrin (R-Monclova), and Ron Ferguson (R-Wintersville) are suing Stephens and Rep. Jeff LaRe (R-Violet Township) over campaign finance account disputes.

The complaint, which can be read below, was filed in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.

In January, there was a split among Republican for speaker of the Ohio House, Stephens ultimately ended up winning in a surprise upset, beating out Merrin, who was originally poised to win the position.

When Stephens won the vote – the power to control $3 million in campaign funds from the Ohio House Republican Alliance Campaign Committee was also in the air. At the start of the year, Stephens maintained that he is the leader of the Republican Party — because of his role as speaker — and therefore controls the money. But, a majority of Republicans elected Plummer as chair of the campaign committee in a caucus vote that Merrin said all GOP members were invited to.

The complaint cites the Ohio Revised Code, which states, “Each legislative campaign fund shall be administered and controlled in a manner designated by the caucus.”

The complaint alleges that Stephens and LaRe have “falsely” maintained control of funds despite the caucus voting others as chair: “Jason Stephens has self-proclaimed himself as leader of the Ohio House Republican Caucus and claimed to be in control of the OHRA fund.”

The complaint asks that “the unauthorized expenditures made by Jason Stephens and/or Jeff LaRe in the sum of $284,153.94 and any additional expenditures since the July 31, 2023, finance report be personally reimbursed to the OHRA fund.” The money spent has mostly gone to legal, campaign and fundraising consulting.

In a statement, attorney Lisa Ferguson, who is representing the plaintiffs and is Ferguson’s mother, said, “The Ohio House Republican Alliance, through its elected leaders, Representatives Phil Plummer, and Derek Merrin, as well as caucus member Representative Ron Ferguson, filed suit in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas to enforce the requirements of Ohio law as it relates to the appropriate administration of the caucus campaign committee. The Complaint speaks for itself, and the plaintiffs will not discuss pending litigation in the media at this time.”