Pay-to-Play in Ohio: Lawyers' Donations Funded by State Contracts

Strategic Insights -

Ohio lawmakers and former attorneys general have been accused of engaging in a pay-to-play system, where lawyers who contribute to their campaigns receive large sums of money in state contracts. A Blade investigation revealed that lawyers who contributed over $1.8 million to the Ohio Republican Party fund have received over $170 million in legal fees since 1998. The investigation also found that the firms that contributed the largest amounts to the party received the most in fees from the state.

Key Takeaways:

  • Lawyers who contributed over $1.8 million to the Ohio Republican Party fund have received over $170 million in legal fees since 1998.
  • The firms that contributed the largest amounts to the party received the most in fees from the state.
  • Many of the lawyers who contributed to the party also contributed to county parties allied with a candidate for attorney general.
  • The pay-to-play system was first exposed in the 1990s, when Democrat Lee Fisher decided to reject campaign contributions from special counsel.
  • Since 1998, the state of Ohio has spent over $430 million on special counsel legal fees.
  • The hourly rate for special counsel is $125, but the state frequently must pay more than that to outside lawyers.
  • Some express concern that the state is overpaying for legal work and that the pay-to-play system is a corruption of the political process.

Statistics:

  • Over $430 million has been spent on special counsel legal fees since 1992.
  • Over $170 million in legal fees has been received by lawyers who contributed over $1.8 million to the Ohio Republican Party fund.
  • The firms that contributed the largest amounts to the party received the most in fees from the state.
  • The hourly rate for special counsel is $125, but the state frequently must pay more than that to outside lawyers.
  • Special counsel who collect state debt are paid a percentage of what they collect.

Sources:

  • The Blade, "Lawyers' contributions to Ohio Republican Party fund linked to state contracts"
  • The Blade, "Ohio pays over $430 million in special counsel fees"
  • Toledo Blade, "Campaign contributions, state contracts linked in unusual way"
  • The Blade, "Grendell, Boccieri decry pay-to-play system in Ohio"