Judge strips control of campaign funds from Ohio House speaker ahead of November election

Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens is no longer in charge of House GOP campaign funds, a Franklin County judge ruled Friday — a move that could shake up legislative races this November.

The ruling was the culmination of a bruising fight among GOP lawmakers who split into opposing factions after 22 Republicans joined Democrats to elect Stephens as speaker. It could throw a wrench in Stephens' efforts to defend his allies at the ballot box and head off a challenge to his job next year from Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima.

Allies of Rep. Derek Merrin, R-Monclova — who lost the speaker's race to Stephens — filed a lawsuit last year to assume control of the House campaign arm, known as the Ohio House Republican Alliance. They contend he's not the true leader of the GOP caucus and therefore shouldn't oversee the money.

There are no explicit rules governing the Ohio House Republican Alliance, but Ohio law does say campaign funds "shall be administered and controlled in a manner designated by the caucus."

Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Mark Serrott issued a preliminary injunction giving control of the account to Rep. Phil Plummer, R-Dayton, months after a majority of the 67 House Republicans voted to put Plummer in charge. Stephens and his allies did not attend the April meeting despite receiving invitations to discuss the issue at hand.

Serrott's decision will remain in effect while the lawsuit plays out. A trial is scheduled for October, just weeks before the Nov. 5 election.

"November is now what we're talking about," Rep. Ron Ferguson, R-Wintersville, said. "It's pretty easy: You have the red team and the blue team. We've always felt that what we should be doing is protecting Republicans and getting more Republicans elected, and that's what we're going to do. So if you're a Republican, you're going to get the support of the caucus."

In a statement, Stephens said he plans to appeal the decision "swiftly."

"It is imperative for the integrity of the institution of the Ohio House of Representatives that control of the campaign committee not be able to be leveraged against the highest elected official in the House on a whim," Stephens said.

The group's fund had just $136,000 in the bank as of late April, according to state campaign finance filings. Stephens spent at least $3 million on March primary races to defend sitting lawmakers — most of whom backed him for speaker — but four incumbents still lost their seats to challengers.

Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Jason Stephens loses control of Ohio House Republican campaign funds