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A lawsuit has been filed against Ohio’s Republican House Speaker over campaign funds

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Three Republican state representatives have filed a lawsuit against the speaker of the Ohio House over the administration and use of campaign funds.

Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) speaks to reporters after session on March 1, 2023.
Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) speaks to reporters after session on March 1, 2023. [Karen Kasler | Statehouse News Bureau]
Republican representatives Derek Merrin (R-Monclova), Ron Ferguson (R-Wintersville) and Phil Plummer (R-Dayton) have filed a suit in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court. Their complaint against Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) says he doesn’t have the authority to manage the Ohio House Republicans’ campaign fund. Rep. Jeff Lare (R-Canal Winchester) is also named in the complaint.

The complaint alleges that Stephens is trying to control the fund and has made unauthorized expenditures. Stephens has said as speaker, he controls that fund.

Stephens won the speakership earlier this year in a surprise upset over Merrin with the help of all 32 of the House Democrats, even though the Republican caucus had initially agreed to elect Merrin to that post. Merrin got more Republican votes than Stephens and has said all year that he is the leader of the Republican caucus.

The dispute over who manages House GOP campaign funds has been part of that struggle among Republicans all year as well, with the threat of a lawsuit brought up soon after Stephens was elected speaker. All legislative seats are on next year’s ballot. And control over that campaign money, especially in districts where candidates backed by Stephens might be facing primary challenges from candidates backed by Merrin, could make a difference.

New details will be added to this story as they become available.