Fighting the Opioid Crisis & Improving Our Criminal Justice System
Ohio’s broken political system has failed ordinary Ohioans, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the opioid crisis ravaging our communities. The failure of politicians to address this crisis has been made worse by a criminal justice system that does not provide adequate treatment to non-violent people suffering from addiction. The State of Ohio currently has the second-highest rate of opioid-related deaths in the country, and there have been periods that Ohio has been first. Nearly 5,000 Ohioans died of drug overdose deaths in 2017. For too long, politicians have failed everyday Ohioans in their most basic duty—keeping every single person safe.

As a career federal prosecutor for two decades, and as U.S. Attorney, Steve Dettelbach has been in the trenches in the fight against drug and opioid dealers, and against the drug cartels themselves. Dettelbach busted hundreds of large-scale drug dealers year after year, and he worked with law enforcement to execute the largest heroin seizure in Ohio history. As a prosecutor, Dettelbach also put away pill-pushing doctors and won $50 million for taxpayers when he took on a big drug company for illegally pushing opioids.

But Steve knows that fighting the opioid crisis isn’t just about enforcement—it’s also about treatment and prevention. That’s why, as Ohio’s top federal prosecutor, Dettelbach brought together leaders in the medical community, treatment experts, members of law enforcement, and advocates to form the U.S. Attorney’s Heroin and Opioid Task Force to address the crisis at the community level. That Task Force has become a national model for fighting the opioid crisis, and was recognized by the United States Attorney General as the best program of its type in the nation.

In enforcement, treatment, and prevention, Dettelbach’s plan also addresses criminal justice reform. Too many people suffering from addiction are put in prison and not given the tools they need to recover. And more often than not, this system disproportionately impacts communities of color. These disparities have inflated our prisons to the point they are overflowing and crushed our budgets. Yet even after spending all this money on prisons, the drug problem in Ohio continues to be worse than ever.

To help turn the tide, Dettelbach’s plan takes a multipronged approach to the opioid crisis: taking on big pharmaceutical companies responsible for this crisis, expanding access to drug courts, and giving law enforcement the tools they need to take drug dealers off the street while making sure that we use new techniques to protect innocent people. Dettelbach’s plan also calls for meaningful criminal justice reform, bringing together experts to come up with a plan to address sentencing for drug crimes, and scrutinizing industries that perpetuate this public health crisis.

Make Big Pharma Pay for Addiction Treatment
As U.S. Attorney, Steve took on big drug companies, including cracking down on one company that illegally pushed opioids. Steve made big drug companies pay for their fraud and illegal practices, winning nearly $175 million in fines and settlements for taxpayers. As Attorney General, Dettelbach will aggressively pursue the cases against drug companies and hold big pharma accountable for their role in the opioid crisis.

Opioid manufacturers aggressively marketed and pumped addictive drugs into our communities, knowing the dangers they posed. Now those same drugs have wreaked havoc on countless lives and communities. Steve will fight to make big pharma help pay to clean up the mess by requiring them to fund prevention, treatment, and recovery services. He can do this because, unlike his opponent, Steve has not taken a dime from big pharma.

Make Insurance Companies Meet Their Obligations to Cover Addiction Treatment and Non-Addictive Treatment Alternatives
Ohio law requires health insurance companies to cover mental health and addiction treatment, just as they would for physical illness. But politicians in Columbus have failed to adequately enforce this critical protection, resulting in countless Ohioans not getting the addiction treatment they need. Treatment experts say that we could reduce opioid death rates by enforcing this law, which is already on the books. As Attorney General, Steve will fight to make sure insurance companies meet their obligations to cover substance abuse and mental health treatment.

Steve will also step up efforts to get health insurers to cover non-opioid and non-addictive treatment of pain. The Ohio Attorney General did not begin to engage health insurers in a formal dialogue around the opioid crisis until October 2017, one year before the election. This is unacceptable. Steve believes health coverage for non-addictive treatment is critical to combating the crisis, and as Attorney General, he will accelerate the AG office’s dialogue with health insurers to monitor adoption of best practices for coverage of non-addictive treatment, and identify additional ways health insurance companies can do their part to help tackle this public health crisis. And if necessary, he will take legal action to ensure it gets done right.

Fix the Testing Lab Backlog to Give Police and Prosecutors the Tools they Need to Keep Drug Dealers off the Streets
Police and prosecutors need quick toxicology reports so they can bring cases and take drug dealers off the streets. But with the opioid epidemic, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation Crime Lab has been unable to keep up with the needs of law enforcement, with testing times averaging more than three months. That leaves drug dealers on the streets while prosecutors sit and wait for the evidence they need to get indictments.

Mike DeWine has failed to adequately address the problem. It’s gotten so bad that in one case a judge ordered a defendant facing drug charges to write DeWine a “thank you” note for the backlog, which allowed him to plea down to a far lesser sentence. Even Ohio’s Republican Lieutenant Governor knows Mike DeWine has failed us, saying “drug dealers are being set free or allowed to plead to lesser offenses because Mike DeWine can’t get his house in order.”

As Attorney General, Steve will give BCI the tools it needs to complete toxicology reports quickly so law enforcement can do their job and get drug dealers off the streets and behind bars, where they belong.

Make Specialized Drug Courts Available in Every Single Ohio County
Steve understands that many of the people pulled into the legal system by addiction don’t need handcuffs; they need a hand. Specialized drug courts are a way to offer it. These courts handle cases involving low-level, non-violent drug offenders. They have been shown to reduce crime and help people get their lives back on track. But once again, Ohio’s current leadership has ignored vast parts of the state and failed to bring best practices everywhere they are needed. As of August, there were still 30 Ohio counties without drug courts, accounting for more than 1.3 million Ohioans. Three of the top six counties in overdose death rate still don’t have a drug court. As Attorney General, Steve will work with local communities and the Ohio Supreme Court to make access to a drug court available in every Ohio county so that people who fall into the legal system as a result of opioids have a fighting chance to pull themselves out.

But Steve won’t stop at just drug courts. To make sure that individuals and families who have suffered as a result of Ohio’s drug crisis have access to the necessary prevention, treatment, and recovery supports, Steve will also work with local Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health (ADAMH) Boards and their county hubs.

Enact Criminal Justice Reform
Ohio’s criminal justice system is badly in need of reform, but the politicians in Columbus have failed to deliver. Overly harsh sentences for non-violent drug addicts, a broken bail system, and the troubling use of for-profit, private prison corporations have destroyed families, done little to stop the problem of drug addiction, and created disparities between how communities of color are treated by the criminal justice system.

Steve Dettelbach believes that Ohio needs significant reform of its laws dealing with the drug and opioid problem. He recognizes that Issue 1’s presence on the ballot is a scathing indictment of Columbus politicians’ failure to address this crisis. That said, after extensive and thoughtful discussions with leaders in the legal, judicial, law enforcement, and treatment communities around Ohio, Steve has decided he will vote ‘no,’ on Issue 1. The measure would enshrine in the Ohio Constitution a series of legal changes that, while well-intentioned, are too difficult to amend. Steve strongly believes it is critical we make changes to Ohio’s outdated drug statutes—which sometimes felonize addiction itself. And he condemns the effort to politicize this issue and divide Ohioans over the need for reform at a time when we must be united.

To address these issues, as Attorney General, Steve Dettelbach will immediately create a Criminal Justice Reform Task Force to improve our criminal justice system. Its first task will be to propose modernization of Ohio’s drug code. The Task Force will bring together stakeholders from the community, law enforcement, prosecutors, the courts, treatment providers, and others. Steve and the Task Force will work with the members of the legislature on both sides of the aisle to finally deliver meaningful reform on these criminal justice issues.

Create a Conviction Integrity Unit within the Attorney General's Office
Steve will work with county prosecutors and the defense bar to create a Conviction Integrity Unit within the Attorney General’s office and will offer its services on a voluntary basis to any county prosecutor’s office that desires to use it.

Improvements in DNA forensics and other methods have helped exonerate some people wrongfully convicted of crimes they did not commit. They have also verified in many cases that the defendant in question did indeed commit the crime, bringing needed closure to victims and their families. Because prosecutors should seek justice and not just convictions, the Conviction Integrity Unit will review credible claims of factual innocence referred by any Ohio prosecutor’s office.

Supporting Law Enforcement and Protecting Victims
As Ohio’s top law enforcement official, it is the job of the Attorney General to protect Ohio families and children. As a 20-year prosecutor, Steve Dettelbach knows how to keep Ohio safe, and that the job starts with supporting law enforcement and standing up for victims.

Over two decades as a prosecutor, Steve worked with federal, state, and local law enforcement, and county prosecutors, to put away violent criminals, including murderers, child predators, and more than 40 human traffickers. Steve’s seen first-hand brave men and women in police departments and sheriff offices all over the state carry out their duty to protect communities under the most challenging situations. He is proud to have worked with law enforcement on cases ranging from terrorism to sex crimes to hate crimes to transnational gangs.

Steve also knows that even after the bad guy is caught, the work is often just beginning. Crime victims, especially children, are at increased risk for trouble in adulthood. Without adequate care, violence can shatter lives and lead to an unending cycle of more violence.

Ohio needs an Attorney General who will stand with law enforcement and crime victims. Recently in Ohio, the state has been asking local law enforcement to do more with less. And Ohio’s criminal justice system has too many gaps that allow our most vulnerable—children, rape victims, and domestic violence victims—to fall through the cracks. It’s not just unfair; it makes us less safe.

As Attorney General, Steve will use the power of the office and work with the legislature to make sure Ohio is providing law enforcement the tools it needs to protect every Ohioan, and is providing victims the tools they need to get back on their feet.

Supporting law enforcement and protecting victims means safe communities in Ohio. It’s the right thing to do. In fact, we can’t afford not to do it.

Allow First Responders Workers' Comp for on-the-job PTSD
The psychological trauma first responders are exposed to in the line of duty can have devastating effects; first responders have suicide rates more than ten times higher than the general public. Yet when a first responder suffers from PTSD on-the-job, Ohio withholds workers’ compensation benefits unless there is also a physical injury. That policy fails to fully recognize the sacrifices first responders make to keep our families safe. The dangers that first responders face are simply different from most others, and we should recognize that fact. Steve will work to make that fact a legal reality.

Increase Resources for Police Training
In 2018, Statehouse politicians gave no funding at all for local police training. That’s absurd. We can’t expect police to do their job if we fail to give them the resources they need. Ohio needs to fulfill its commit to police and provide them adequate funding for training.

We also need to examine how, and where, we deliver police training, and we need to better seek the input of everyone, including officers themselves, to do it. The challenges facing police are not the same in every community. And our police training should reflect the unique challenges different communities face. As Attorney General, Steve will work with local law enforcement leaders, officers, and community members to ensure that when we train police, we are training them on the skills they actually need to serve their communities.

Attract and Retain more Police by Helping Law Enforcement Officials Pay for College
Tuition reimbursement is available to a select few law enforcement officials employed by the state and certain communities. As Attorney General, Steve will work with state and local leaders to identify ways to expand the number of Ohio law enforcement officials with access to tuition assistance. Making higher education more accessible will help police officers who make that choice to develop their skills, lengthen their careers, and enhance their promotability. Ultimately, it will make our communities safer by attracting and retaining police.

Get Smarter on Crime and Support Police by Improving Data-Sharing
Across the state, police use several different computer databases to store information about the crimes they investigate. But these databases are not all linked with each other, making it harder for police to solve crimes across jurisdictions and to understand trends in criminal behavior. As U.S. Attorney, Steve was a leader in developing data-driven policing models as head of the Northern Ohio Violent Crime Consortium. As Attorney General, Steve is committed to giving law enforcement the tools they need to keep us safe. He will convene a Law Enforcement Technology Task Force, comprised of both law enforcement and IT experts, to identify gaps in Ohio’s criminal-data systems, and to find best practices in data-sharing that police can use across the state. That way, our police will have the 21st Century tools they need to work in concert, quickly gather information, and keep our communities safe.

Close Ohio's Spousal Rape Loophole
Shockingly, Ohio is just one of a handful of states that does not outlaw every instance of spousal rape. Ohio law does not outlaw rape by a spouse unless force or the threat of force is used. That leaves a loophole for rapists who use drugs or alcohol to have sex with a non-consenting spouse. It’s time for Ohio to catch up. Rep. Kristin Boggs introduced legislation (HB 561) previously introduced by Greta Johnson to help address this very issue. As Attorney General, Steve will work with the legislature to close this antiquated loophole and outlaw spousal rape in all forms.

Keep Children of Arrested Parents from Falling through the Cracks
When a parent is arrested, Ohio shouldn’t let children fall through the cracks. Steve knows this from his work leading the Defending Childhood initiative as U.S. Attorney. When a child witnesses violence or a parent is arrested, the child needs somewhere safe to go and to be protected. Children of arrested parents and those who witness violence have increased risk for everything from alcoholism and drug abuse to domestic violence and other criminal behavior, and even suicide. Unfortunately, Ohio lacks standard procedures to care for these kids. That leads to an unending cycle of crime. As Attorney General, Steve will work with law enforcement and child-development experts to build on his prior work and create a uniform statewide procedure for protecting children of arrested parents.

Cut Red Tape for Crime Victims
The current administration has poured salt in the wounds of crime victims by slashing Ohio’s Victims of Crime Compensation Fund by 45%—even for victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault. This Fund helps crime victims pay for out-of-pocket costs like medical care and counseling. But Attorney General DeWine has slashed victim compensation, even as the number of claims has gone up. Worse yet, overly bureaucratic and unfair technicalities in the Fund have disqualified countless victims. As Attorney General, Steve will reform and improve the Fund to ensure that it better serves its purpose: helping victims of violent crime begin on the road to recovery.

Expand Access to Text-to-911 to Save Lives
Text-911 programs can save lives in mass shootings, domestic violence incidents, or other emergencies where it isn’t safe to make noise. And increasingly, young people think of texting before they think of calling. Texts to 911 also help those with hearing or speech impairments to safely access emergency services. But right now, only a small portion of the state has access to it. This common-sense, life-saving technology should not be available in only part of the state. As Attorney General, Steve will explore ways to help Ohio catch up to the needs of its citizens and seek to bring text-to-911 to every corner of the state.

Ensure Every Abused Child has Access to a Child Advocacy Center
Child Advocacy Centers (CAC) are places where a team of specialists—social workers, law enforcement, prosecutors, and healthcare providers—help victims of child abuse in a comprehensive and coordinated manner. The professionals work in concert and communicate across disciples to better meet the needs of the child, reduce trauma, and improve the chances of prosecuting abusers. But these critical Centers are not yet available in all parts of Ohio, leaving abused children in some communities at a disadvantage, and making it harder for police and prosecutors to bring child abusers to justice. As Attorney General, Steve will work with state and local leaders, and find ways to make CACs available in every corner of Ohio, so that every victim of child abuse can get the help they need close to home, and so law enforcement can better prosecute those who prey on children.

Toughen Ohio Hate Crimes Laws and Outlaw Hate Crimes against Police
As a career prosecutor, Steve understands that hate crimes like murder, assault, and arson don’t just impact the victim—they terrorize entire communities. Ohio has a hate crimes rate more than twice the national average. Even so, Ohio hate crimes law still does not apply to crimes motivated by gender, sexual orientation, or disability. It also fails to address hate crimes targeted at police.

Steve believes nobody is beyond the reach of the law’s protection. As a career prosecutor, Steve prosecuted some of Ohio’s most notorious hate crimes, including a man who burned down a mosque in Toledo, and the attempt to burn down an African American church in Conneaut. As Attorney General, he’ll fight to make Ohio hate crimes law more inclusive so that no Ohioan is targeted for violence because of their gender, sexual orientation, disability, or status as a police officer. He’ll also work to toughen the penalties for such hate crimes, so that those who terrorize communities get the punishment they deserve.

Fighting Human Trafficking in Ohio
Steve Dettelbach believes no one is above the law, no one is below the law, and no one is beyond its reach. During his more than two decades as a prosecutor, Dettelbach used the law to stand up for society’s most vulnerable, including survivors of human trafficking. Indeed, over the last 25 years Dettelbach has repeatedly stood up in courtrooms all over the nation and right here in Ohio to prosecute those who have exploited children and other vulnerable victims of this heinous crime.

As Attorney General, Dettelbach will continue his lifelong fight against modern-day slavery with a plan to protect Ohio communities from traffickers and support victims of this unfathomable crime.

Modern-Day Slavery Right Here in Ohio
In too many Ohio communities, human trafficking is not only a real threat, but a growing one. According to statistics collected by the Ohio Attorney General, human trafficking investigations hit an all-time high in 2017. The numbers are alarming. Ninety-two percent of victims were female. Thirty-seven percent were under the age of 20. Most were victims of sex trafficking, but others were trafficked for labor.

At the same time, Ohio has among the weakest human trafficking laws of any state in the nation. Only three states reported more trafficking cases last year than Ohio. Yet our human trafficking laws leave law enforcement without critical tools to combat this scourge, and leave victims without critical protections and even basic needs like emergency housing and treatment.

Although Ohio has taken many important steps to curb trafficking over the last decade, Dettelbach understands that this is an area where we cannot let up. As Attorney General, he will work with law enforcement and leaders from all communities to protect Ohioans and help victims of human trafficking.

A Lifetime Commitment to Protecting the Most Vulnerable
Dettelbach served on the front lines of the fight against human trafficking for more than two decades. As a young prosecutor at the Justice Department, he successfully prosecuted what was then the largest human trafficking case in the country when he sent the operators of a California sweatshop to jail for illegally smuggling 70 Thai women into the country and using them as slaves. Later, as United States Attorney for Northern Ohio, Dettelbach and his team of prosecutors worked with law enforcement to set up task forces and convict more than 40 defendants who preyed on young girls and other vulnerable people in Ohio. These heinous criminals included:

Jeremy Mack, an Elyria man sentenced to life in prison after forcing four women, including a 16-year-old girl, to work as prostitutes.

Brady Jackson, a Toledo man sentenced to 15 years after he was caught advertising two children for prostitution on Backpage.com.

Jordie Callahan and Jessica Hunt of Ashland, who were sentenced 30 years and 32 years respectively, for holding a woman with cognitive disabilities and her toddler daughter captive in a basement and forcing them to perform labor.

Aroldo Castillo-Serrano and Angelica Pedro-Juan, who were sentenced 15 years and 10 years respectively, for smuggling Guatemalan minors into Ohio, holding them in inhumane conditions and forcing them to work on a corporate egg farm in Marion.

Continuing the Fight Against Human Trafficking
As Attorney General, Dettelbach will use his experience to ramp up the fight against human trafficking in Ohio. His plan will create new resources for law enforcement to catch traffickers, give prosecutors new tools to send criminals to jail, and give victims the resources they need to begin to rebuild their lives.

Dettelbach’s plan:

1. Toughen the penalties for soliciting sex with minors
There should be no question about what happens to criminals who sexually exploit children—they should be put behind bars. But Ohio’s penalties for people who pay for sex with minors are too weak. Dettelbach’s plan would increase the penalty for soliciting sex with minors, and calls for tougher penalties for repeat offenders.

2. Crack down on child pornography
Make no mistake: child pornography is child abuse. And there is a link between child pornography and sex trafficking. Research shows that nearly half of sex trafficking victims are forced to make pornography. People who sexually exploit children by creating, and distributing pornography need to be punished. But the punishment in Ohio for these crimes against children are too soft. We should strengthen the penalties in Ohio for child pornography.

3. Expand access to emergency housing and other services for sex trafficking survivors
During an investigation and even after criminal case is over, human trafficking survivors typically require significant care to recover. The exploitation and trauma they suffer is unimaginable. Survivors need access to emergency housing, medical and mental health treatment, and legal help. Unfortunately, despite the efforts of many fine NGOs, Ohio is woefully inadequate when it comes to the availability of both safe and appropriate emergency housing and proper mental health services for trafficking victims. In part through better support and funding for Ohio non-profits, Dettelbach will strengthen our response for victims of human trafficking—particularly for children.

4. Expressly ban using the internet to sell minors for sex
Technology has changed the way criminals operate. The law needs to change too. Right now, Ohio law does not explicitly ban selling sex with minors over the internet. That’s absurd. Dettelbach’s plan would make selling minors on the internet a second-degree felony for a first offense.

5. Outlaw sex trafficking of 16- and 17-year olds under any circumstances
Ohio is one of only three states that require a stronger standard of proof when it comes to convicting pimps who traffic 16- and 17-year old minors. The current law requires proof of “force, fraud, or coercion”—as if a 16 year old could somehow choose to be a commercial sex slave. Dettelbach’s plan would eliminate that requirement. Legislation that would make this change has already been introduced in the Ohio legislature. H.B. 461, sponsored by Rep. Fedor, is pending in the House. It needs to pass, and if it doesn’t, Dettelbach will aggressively advocate for it as Attorney General.

6. Close legal loopholes for pimps of children
A child cannot consent to being sold for sex. Yet Ohio law does not expressly prohibit pimps who sell minors for sex from claiming the child “consented” as a legal defense. We should enact a law expressly prohibiting a consent defense on any commercial sexual offense when the victim is a minor. This makes it clear that if you sell a child for sex, you will go to prison.

7. Penalize busiesses and individuals who profit from sex trafficking
Sex traffickers don’t operate alone. They have networks of smugglers, illegal massage parlors, and others who help them commit their crimes. Ohio needs tools to make it harder for traffickers to operate here. That means cracking down on businesses or people who knowingly provide transportation, lodging, or other services that help human traffickers.

8. Ban child-sex tourism
As the home to a number of world-class cities, Ohio routinely hosts high-profile events like political conventions and sporting events. Sadly, as Dettelbach saw firsthand as a federal prosecutor, these events often attract traffickers. Today, Ohio doesn’t specifically prohibit the horrific practice of child-sex tourism. Dettelbach’s plan calls for a law that specifically prohibits selling travel for the purpose of engaging in sexual exploitation of, or paying for prostitution of, a minor.

9. Work with county prosecutors and local law enforcement to establish additional Human Trafficking Task Forces to cover the entire State
As U.S. Attorney, Steve worked with the FBI and local law enforcement in forming and leading Human Trafficking Task Forces in Toledo and Cleveland. These task forces investigated and prosecuted scores of cases in Northern Ohio. Later, state officials also participated, but there is still not sufficient statewide coverage for such operational task forces. Working with county prosecutors and local and federal law enforcement, we should establish regional task forces to cover the rest of Ohio, making the fight against human trafficking a statewide effort.

Redistricting Reform
Ohio has taken a number of important steps toward reforming the way we draw new districts in the last few years, and it is continuing that reform effort with the upcoming ballot measure.

One thing is for sure though. Whether it is the current, broken redistricting process, or a new and improved one, any redistricting involving politicians and party bosses will be far better if it happens while all of Ohio can watch them.

Our plan, Keep It Open. Keep It Honest, adds important new reforms in the areas of transparency and accountability. These new reforms will help hold everyone accountable in the future, whether Democrats or Republicans are in charge.

Transparency is key to getting fair districts. One reason partisan politicians were able to rig Ohio in favor of Republicans in 2011 was they were able to draw maps behind closed doors and rush them through before public opposition could develop. Politicians like Dave Yost and Jon Husted worked through the whole process to specifically evade Ohio’s sunshine laws and directed mapmakers working in a secret hotel room, while other politicians like Frank LaRose “voted” yes on maps without meaningful public input.

Keep It Open. Keep It Honest. will close loopholes they used, and ensure politicians and party bosses will never be able to go into a “bunker,” or use the cover of darkness to rig Ohio’s districts again.

Require Regular Public Reports and Release Actual Draft Maps Under Negotiation in Real Time
Steve and Kathleen’s plan requires legislative leaders of both parties and members of the apportionment board to publicly issue regular, bipartisan written reports and, importantly, to release any draft maps shared with others at regular intervals. Under their plan, the public won’t have to wait for their elected leaders to emerge from a smoke-filled room with a plan.

Mandate Regular Public Briefings and Allow Public Input
Steve and Kathleen’s plan will mandate public briefings detailing the status of the redistricting process. Under their plan, the politicians Ohioans elected to draw the district lines must report to and hear from their constituents — not only from unelected political consultants picked by party bosses.

Require Public Redistricting Meetings with Sufficient Notice and Prohibit Structuring the Process to Meet Only in Secret
The days of “Keep it Secret, Keep it Safe” must end. Last time, map drawers met in a secret room in the Doubletree in Columbus on the taxpayer dime. Dave Yost and others took painstaking care to avoid being in the same place at the same time to avoid triggering open meetings laws. This proposal would specifically make it unlawful to design a plan intended to get around Ohio Sunshine Laws in the redistricting process.

Force all those Involved to Preserve All Redistricting Records and Related Communications
By making sure all documents connected to the redistricting process are preserved, the public can make sure politicians are looking out for Ohioans — not themselves. If politicians look for loopholes and tricks to hide their plans to gerrymander Ohio (including by trying to shield communications through “private” consultants), there will be a trail of evidence to hold them accountable.

Allow the Attorney General to Quickly Bring Violations to a Judge
Rules don’t mean much unless we enforce them. In order to both Keep it Open and Keep it Honest, this plan allows Ohio’s Attorney General to get to a judge quickly, if politicians are meeting in secret or destroying records.

The Plan is also the People
We can’t trust the same people who plotted and rigged Ohio’s maps last time around to do the right thing.

We need an independent Attorney General like Steve Dettelbach, and not someone who is an experienced Gerrymanderer like Dave Yost, to enforce the rules fairly. A Secretary of State like Kathleen Clyde, who is willing to put Ohioans before party, unlike Frank LaRose, is the best protection for Ohioans on the Redistricting Commission itself.

Combating Sexual Harassment
Ohio Attorney General candidate Steve Dettelbach today announced a series of reforms he will fight for as Attorney General to combat sexual harassment in Columbus and Ohio state institutions. Dettelbach’s plan will reinstate reforms in the Attorney’s General office that were rolled back under questionable circumstances in 2014, and will put in place new procedures in public workplaces to permanently end the culture of silence that allows offenders to continue abusing victims.

“I’m introducing this plan because it’s clear that too many in positions of power in our government — whether it’s in DC or Alabama or Columbus — are willing to turn a blind eye to sexual harassment or sweep it under the rug,” said Dettelbach. “I have been disgusted by the many reports of sexual harassment and abuse that have come out over the last few weeks—especially those that have come out of our Statehouse. I have also been outraged by the fact that we still have individuals in powerful positions who have undermined protections or chosen silence when confronted with stories of harassment.”

“Last week, I called on men to speak out against sexual assault and harassment. That’s an important start but it is not enough. We have to act, and that’s what I plan to do as Attorney General.”

“The steps I’m announcing today will bring accountability and transparency to public workplaces and will protect individuals —and the public—from abusers. The reforms will require our elected leaders to report and disclose any credible allegations, and hold them accountable if they don’t. Most important, the steps will make it less likely for harassers to get away with the kind abusive behavior we’ve seen in the news again and again.”

Refuse to give taxpayer-funded representation to public officials who sexually harass others
The Attorney General’s office under Steve Dettelbach will not defend any elected official or state employee against whom there is a credible allegation of sexual harassment. The state should not defend those who abuse their position of trust to sexually harass others. The office is sending a clear message — if you abuse your power or your office, you’re on your own.

While the Ohio Attorney General is required to defend elected officials and public employees sued in the line of duty, the AG must first conduct an investigation to determine whether the conduct was “manifestly outside the scope” of the official responsibilities or employment. If so, the AG may elect not to defend the official or employee. Sexual harassment is never part of any elected official’s or state employee’s job description, and the State should not defend those who engage in this predatory behavior.

Require supervisors to report known or suspected sexual harassment, in writing
Requiring supervisors to report sexual harassment in writing will go a long way to stopping harassment and making the workplace fairer. Most sexual harassers are repeat offenders and they get away with it because nobody steps in to stop them. Too often in the workplace and especially in Columbus, we see supervisors look the other way when they see something going on. Many times there have been prior complaints, or the harassing behavior was an open secret, but nobody bothered to do anything about it. Mandatory written reporting for supervisors will ensure that we stop the culture of “looking the other way.”

Require a mandatory written investigastion report, with specific details
It’s critical that there be a written report when someone complains of sexual harassment. Too often, we see employers claim there were no prior reports of sexual harassment because nobody bothered to create a paper trail, or because people tried to skirt the issue with vague allusions to “inappropriate behavior,” when in truth, they knew the comments or conduct was sexual in nature.

Ohioans deserve better than powerful elected officials who not only ignore problems, but sweep them under the rug. Let’s not allow employers to escape liability (or hide past misconduct) by pleading ignorance. Requiring a written record incentivizes taking action against harassers, and will help hold our elected leaders accountable.

Reinstate the AG's the Equal Employment Opportunity Compliance Officer and Advise State Agencies and Universities on avoiding harassment
The AG’s office had a sexual harassment compliance officer, until the current AG got rid of the position after someone made a sexual harassment complaint against one of his close advisors. By doing that, AG DeWine effectively told Ohioans that the rules don’t apply if you’re powerful or well-connected.

Steve’s running to make sure there’s just one set of rules for everyone. As Attorney General, Steve would reinstate the position of EEO Compliance Officer to make sure every allegation of sexual harassment is thoroughly investigated. This office would also be charged with providing counsel to all State offices, including universities on how to deal with harassment and assault.

Stop Corruption and Backroom Deals
In Columbus and Washington, D.C., our political system is broken. Time and again, politicians help their big donors—like ECOT—game the system, while they ignore the problems working Ohioans face.

As a federal prosecutor, Steve Dettelbach spent decades fighting public corruption and official misconduct. Steve secured bribery convictions against Democrats and Republicans alike, and sent crooked officials to jail. He has worked with law enforcement to prosecute politicians who took bribes, as well as the corporate executives and others that bribed them to get special treatment.

On day one of Steve’s term as Attorney General, he will begin working to implement a series of tough, new ethics and anti-corruption reforms designed to clean up a culture in the Statehouse where the powerful and well-connected get special treatment at the expense of working Ohioans.

Importantly, the specific reforms Steve is announcing today are just the beginning. Steve will add to this plan as the campaign progresses, and he continues to hear from law enforcement, local prosecutors, and Ohio workers and businesses. He will also commence a top-to-bottom review of Ohio’s ethics, transparency, and anti-corruption laws. He will take good ideas from anyone, no matter their politics or party.

The Ethics Plan
As Attorney General, Steve will work with anyone who wants to help him shine more light on politicians and enact new reforms to stop officeholders from tipping the scales to favor their donors and other powerful interests. His plan will level the playing field for all Ohioans by making it harder for politicians to stack the deck. And for those corrupt politicians that even more sunshine won’t stop, Steve’s plan will increase penalties to help make sure government officials who take bribes go to prison.

1. Crack down on corrupt politicians by increasing penalties for bribery and conflicts of interest
2. Empower the Ohio Ethics Commission to stop senior officials from engaging in conflicts of interests, like Dave Yost did with ECOT
3. Improve financial disclosure forms to expose conflicts of interest
4. Strengthen protections for witnesses who report waste, fraud and corruption
5. Implement a gift ban in the office of Attorney General
6. Commence a day one, top-to-bottom review of Ohio’s anti-corruption, transparency, and ethics laws
7. Take politics out of redistricting through his plan, Keep it open. Keep it honest

Crack Down on Corrupt Politicians by Increasing Penalties for Bribery & Conflicts of Interest
There is no such thing as a small bribe. That’s why Steve’s ETHICS plan will make it clear to anyone considering taking a bribe or other improper payment that they will risk going to jail if they do.

As a prosecutor for more than 20 years, Steve put corrupt politicians—from both parties—behind bars. Even before he was named U.S. Attorney for Northern Ohio, Steve worked in the office’s Organized Crime and Corruption Strike Force. Steve personally went after politicians who broke the law and the dishonest people and businesses that bribed them. In one blockbuster case, Steve and the FBI secured criminal convictions against a sitting mayor who traded public contracts for monthly envelopes of cash, a Democratic city council member and a businessman who bribed officials across two states.

Ohio’s bribery and conflict of interest laws are not as strong as those in many other states, and not as strong as they should be. Steve’s plan will toughen penalties for government officials who break the rules and those that pay them off, so that politicians and corrupt businesses alike know that if they abuse the public trust and take or give bribes, they will risk going to prison.

Empower the Ohio Ethics Commission to Stop Senior Officials from Engagin in Conflicts of Interest, like Dave Yost did with ECOT
Ohio’s elected and senior leaders shouldn’t be allowed to control investigations of special interests by day and deposit their checks at night. Just as lower-level employees need supervision, senior elected officials must have independent oversight to kick them off a case when they have a conflict of interest.

Steve’s plan will empower the bipartisan Ohio Ethics Commission to order recusal of statewide elected officials from specific official actions when there is a clear conflict of interest—like there was when Dave Yost was investigating the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT) and its associates were writing him checks.

ECOT is the charter school that has been accused of overbilling the state of Ohio for tens of millions of dollars. Between 2010 and 2014, Yost took nearly $30,000 from entities and donors associated with the charter school. He gave ECOT three awards for bookkeeping and spoke at three of the school’s graduations. Yost’s cozy relationship with ECOT led more than one Ohio official to call for his recusal from all ECOT related matters. He has refused and never even returned ECOT’s cash.

Yost’s actions in late 2014 illustrate why a recusal was necessary and why Ohio needs someone to “watch the watchers.” In a matter of days, Yost:

• Allowed his office to let ECOT negotiate how auditors would respond to an insider tip that ECOT was “cooking its attendance books;” [12/2/2014, ODE Exhibit 1200]
• Deposited three checks from ECOT affiliates into his inauguration slush fund [12/12/2014, SOS Reports]
• Personally signed an audit for ECOT’s 2013-2014 school year, despite knowing about an insider tip that ECOT was potentially engaged in fraud [12/16/2014, ECOT Audit]
• Permitted his auditors to ignore internal office procedures and allow ECOT to escape the fraud investigation without producing attendance logs [1/22/2015, Video Deposition]

Ohioans should never have to question whether government watchdogs are watching out for their donors or the public interest. Yost didn’t recognize that basic conflict—because it was his own. That’s why Steve’s plan will give the Ethics Commission the power to intervene.

Improve Financial Disclosure Forms to Expose Conflicts of Interest
As a former member of the bipartisan Ohio Ethics Commission, Steve has a unique view of Ohio’s ethics law, and ideas on how to improve it. Steve’s plan will reveal conflicts of interest by making politicians better report the gifts they receive and make those reports available online to all Ohioans.

Under current law, politicians, do not have to report: 1) the value of the gifts they receive; or 2) anything about the business associations of the person giving the gift. Without this critical context, financial disclosure forms lack the information citizens and law enforcement need to identify conflicts of interest and hold their public officials accountable.

Steve’s plan will require public officials to disclose the value of the gifts they get, and whether the giver has any business interests with relevant state or local government. The plan will also require the Ohio Ethics Commission to continue to modernize and provide it with the resources to put officials’ financial disclosure forms online where the public can easily access them, like the Ohio Legislative Ethics Committee has done.

The ETHICS plan will strengthen penalties by making it a felony when politicians willfully file a false disclosure or willfully fail to file at all.

Strengthen Protections for Witnesses who Report Waste, Fraud, and Corruption
Witness testimony and reports from insiders are critical to stopping government fraud and corruption. Twenty-nine states and the federal government have false claims statutes that protect whistleblowers and create incentives for employees of private companies to report misuse of public funds. But Ohio is not one of them. Steve’s plan will protect witnesses who report waste, fraud, and abuse in Ohio by modernizing our whistleblower protections and laws.

Under Ohio law, witnesses at private companies who report misuse of public funds not only have no incentive to report, but are not even protected from retaliation by the fraudster. If Ohio had stronger witness protections, they could well have protected insiders at ECOT, who years ago sought to report wrongdoing. Ohio should be doing more to protect witnesses who come forward and expose misuse of taxpayer money.

As Attorney General, Steve will work with legislators from both parties to put a false claims statute in place that fills the gaps in Ohio law, protects employees of private companies who report abuse of public money, and provides an appropriate incentive for them to come forward so that the fraudster cannot easily either threaten or pay them for their silence.

Implement a Gift Ban in the Office of the Attorney General
As Attorney General, Steve will impose a gift ban on all employees in the Office of the Attorney General, including himself. With common-sense exceptions only for family and personal friends who are not doing business with the state or seeking to do business with the office, and token gifts less than $20, this ban will assure the people of Ohio that the AG’s office makes decisions based on merit and nothing else.

By taking this stand and talking about it publicly, Steve will put pressure on elected officials throughout Ohio to follow his lead, as he did when he proposed and helped draft the state gift ban order after the Coingate scandal.

Commence a Top-to-Bottom Review of Ohio Corruption, Transparency, & Ethics Laws
Steve knows the steps in this plan, and others he will release in this campaign, are just the start. That is why on day one of Steve’s term as Attorney General, he will commence a top-to-bottom review of Ohio’s anti-corruption, transparency, and ethics laws run by a bipartisan commission of independent outsiders with expertise in law enforcement, public corruption, and ethics.

Steve will charge this commission with providing him recommendations within 60 days about how Ohio laws can be strengthened, tightened, and modernized. Once recommendations for reform are received, Steve will work with Ohioans from both parties to get them enacted, and he will fight against any special interests that stand in the way of progress.

Take Politics Out of Redistricting - Keep it Open, Keep it Honest
One reason Ohio’s political system is broken is that politicians were allowed to draw their state and Congressional lines in secret in 2011. Under the cloak of darkness, politicians and party bosses chose their own voters, instead of voters choosing them.

Dave Yost was in the shadows enabling the redistricting scheme. As Auditor, he played a major role in carving up Ohio, participating in meetings structured to avoid open government laws and visiting a secret Columbus hotel room called the “bunker” to meet personally with partisan mapmakers and check in on progress. The secret gerrymandering of Ohio was the political equivalent of a crime, and Dave Yost still has ink all over his hands as a key perpetrator.

While Ohio has taken important steps to improve state and federal redistricting since 2011, more must be done. Alongside Rep. Kathleen Clyde, Steve has introduced a detailed plan to shine light on redistricting, Keep It Open. Keep It Honest. Steve and Kathleen’s plan closes loopholes that politicians like Dave Yost and Jon Husted used to rig Ohio’s maps and gives the public the tools they need to ensure politicians and party bosses will never be able to go into a “bunker,” or use the cover of darkness to rig Ohio’s districts again. Steve knows that reform is needed for one simple reason—the job that politicians always care about most is their own

Steve supports passing Issue 1, and believes more must be done to make sure these lines are drawn in the open as well. By requiring more transparency and taking politics out of the process, Ohio leaders will be more accountable to their voters.^[12]

Protecting Ohioans

• Auditor Yost’s office was instrumental in making it a criminal penalty for public officials to knowingly use public funds for political campaigns.
• Yost championed a constitutional amendment to ban special interest monopolies from taking over Ohio law.
• Auditor Yost testified before Congress on his office’s investigation into the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps) with the goal of ensuring Ohio’s tax dollars are used properly.
• He made recommendations on how to monitor, identify, and combat fraud in real time, including on the Ohio Stops Fraud mobile application.
• Yost’s office has increased fraud detection and prevention training programs to help local officials detect and deter theft.
• The Fiscal Integrity Act became law in 2015 to better prepare your local fiscal officers and to be able to remove fiscal officers that don’t perform their duties.

Saving Your Tax Dollars

• Dave Yost worked with the Ohio General Assembly to pass new laws requiring performance audits of state agencies and higher education institutions.
• More than $260 million in potential savings have been found by Dave Yost through performance audits.
• Auditor Dave Yost launched skinnyohio.org to provide local governments with tools to boost efficiency, cut costs, and better serve their citizens while saving tax dollars.
• Auditor Yost renegotiated his office’s lease and saved Ohio taxpayers more than $1 million.

Fighting for our Children

• Auditor Yost unraveled the knot of the Columbus City Schools data scrubbing scandal. Columbus Schools were manipulating data to falsely show parents that the school system was doing better than it truly was.
• Yost’s investigation into Columbus Schools led to a statewide audit of student attendance data and discovered several school districts were scrubbing student data.
• Dave Yost helped pass landmark charter school reforms to strengthen accountability, provide much needed transparency, and rid charter schools of conflicts of interest.^[12]