By Gongwer Staff
Posted: April 25, 2022 10:05 AM

The state's ethics watchdog is continuing its push for a law change in the wake of what has been described as the largest bribery scandal in Ohio's history.

The Ohio Ethics Commission is advocating for its proposal to be included as an amendment to a bill (HB 510) that allows the attorney general to prohibit a vendor from participating in any state contract under certain circumstances.

The language would allow a court to order a person convicted of several Revised Code violations to pay an additional fine equal to the amount of the thing of value given in violation of the law.

The commission is also asking for the authority to apply to the court to order the person convicted to pay costs associated with investigation and prosecution of the case.

Ethics Commission Executive Director Paul Nick said in an interview he believes the amendment will serve as a deterrent.

"That will hopefully potentially prevent persons interacting with public agencies from providing or offering things of value, like bribes, if they know that doing so can prevent them from getting public contracts in the future," he said.

The commission first proposed the change in law in January, pointing to the deferred prosecution agreement FirstEnergy entered into last year with federal authorities regarding HB6 of the 133rd General Assembly. (See Gongwer Ohio Report, January 26, 2022)

HB510, sponsored by Rep. Mark Fraizer (R-Newark) and Rep. Sharon Ray (R-Wadsworth), was introduced in December and has been referred to the House Civil Justice Committee but has yet to receive a hearing.

It is just one of several bills the ethics watchdog is eyeing closely this General Assembly, according to Mr. Nick.

He said the panel is also monitoring legislation (HB 335) introduced by Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland) to require the commission to post certain financial disclosure statements online.

It is pending in the House Government Oversight Committee, which has yet to hold a hearing.

Another measure (HB 358) of interest to the commission is one to change the minimum dollar amount of a gift required to be reported, and to require that reporting be done according to a dollar amount range. It was introduced by Rep. Laura Lanese (R-Grove City) and Rep. Gayle Manning (R-N. Ridgeville).

Specifically, it raises the threshold dollar amount from over $75 to over $150 for gifts required to be disclosed by public officials on their financial disclosure statement filed under the Ethics Law.

It also requires all gifts from legislative agents to members of the General Assembly to be disclosed to the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee, instead of only gifts over $25.

It, too, has been referred to the House Government Oversight Committee and has yet to have a hearing.

Mr. Nick said the commission would also like to see an update to financial disclosure law to include township fiscal officers and trustees, along with charter school employees.

"Some of the standards were created many, many years ago and are perhaps too low," he added