In the News
Ohio attorney general joins lawsuit demanding religious schools be allowed to re-open
The Columbus Dispatch | Anna Staver Ohio’s attorney general thinks religious schools in the state can’t be forced to close their doors even if a county health department bans all in-person instruction. “This order violates the Free Exercise Clause,” Dave Yost wrote in a brief filed with the United States Court of Appeals for the
Read moreRead moreOhio joins national lawsuit alleging illegal monopoly by social media giant Facebook
The Columbus Dispatch | Marc Kovac Ohio joined 45 other states, the District of Columbia and Guam Wednesday in a national lawsuit against Facebook Inc., alleging an illegal monopoly on the country’s social networking market. Republican Attorney General Dave Yost said in an emailed statement that Facebook’s “unchecked power has grabbed an alarming level of control over what we see, say,
Read moreRead moreAG Yost launches unit dedicated to unsolved crimes: ‘Either everybody counts or nobody counts’
Cincinnati Enquirer | Amber Hunt When an Arizona man was arrested last year and charged in a 1997 Ohio rape, it wasn’t his own DNA that had triggered his arrest. It was his father’s. The pending case against Samuel W. Legg III illustrates just how far technology has evolved when it comes to cold cases: Legg’s DNA was
Read moreRead morePG Sittenfeld: After bribery arrest, AG Dave Yost pursues suspension, Sittenfeld posts thank you video
Cincinnati Enquirer | Sharon Coolidge On the same morning Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced he’ll seek to suspend Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld after Sittenfeld’s arrest on federal bribery charges, Sittenfeld doubled down on his innocence in a video posted on Twitter. Sittenfeld, who is seated and speaking directly to the camera, expressed gratitude for
Read moreRead moreOhio attorney general moves to suspend Cincinnati city councilmember
Cincinnati Business Courier | Tom Demeropolis Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed a request Monday to force the suspension of Jeff Pastor, Cincinnati city councilmember, who faces felony charges of bribery, extortion, wire fraud, money laundering and other crimes. Pastor pleaded not guilty to a sweeping 10-count federal indictment after he was arrested Nov. 10 at his North Avondale home.
Read moreRead moreAG Dave Yost files new lawsuit to stop collection of HB6 nuclear bailout money
Cleveland.com | Jeremy Pelzer Attorney General Dave Yost has filed another lawsuit seeking to block payment of a scandal-ridden $1 billion-plus ratepayer bailout to the owner of two northern Ohio nuclear plants. The lawsuit asks a Franklin County Common Pleas Court judge to issue an injunction to stop both the collection and payment of the
Read moreRead moreOhio Attorney General Dave Yost asks U.S. Supreme Court to overturn ruling that extended deadline for absentee ballots in Pennsylvania
Cleveland.com | Andrew Tobias Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is getting involved in the high-stakes fight over absentee ballots in Pennsylvania, among the states that Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden is projected to have won on his path to winning the presidential election. Yost, a Republican, has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn
Read moreRead more177 arrested in largest human trafficking sting in Ohio history
Cincinnati Enquirer | Cameron Knight They called it Operation Autumn Hope, and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said it resulted in 177 arrests and 109 human trafficking survivors being rescued. The results of the collaboration between more than 50 of law enforcement and social service agencies was announced Monday. Yost quoted Martin Luther King Jr. and Jesus
Read moreRead morePortsmouth attorney indicted on 18 felony counts in human trafficking case
ABC 6 | Sarah Wynn On Friday, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Scioto County Prosecutor Shane Tieman announced the indictment of Portsmouth attorney Michael Mearan on 18 felony counts related to human trafficking spanning 15 years. Mearan, 74, faces more than 70 years in prison if convicted. Authorities say the charges stem from criminal
Read moreRead moreOhio leader calls out Netflix’s ‘Cuties,’ says it ‘whets the appetites’ of pedophiles
Cincinnati Enquirer | Cameron Knight Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost Tuesday called for Netflix to remove it’s film, ‘Cuties,’ from its streaming platform. Yost was joined by the attorney generals from Florida, Louisiana and Texas in penning a letter to the Netflix CEO Reed Hastings. “While the filmmaker’s asserted desire to fight the hypersexualization of young girls
Read moreRead moreBCI to bolster cold-case aid for local police
The Columbus Dispatch | Dean Narciso The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation has shared its experts with local police agencies since the 1960s, assisting at crime scenes, analyzing skeletal remains and, more recently, conducting genetic analysis at its Madison County headquarters. The agency, part of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s office, is now taking a
Read moreRead more2 Austintown men arraigned on felony child porn charges
The Vindicator AUSTINTOWN — Two township men were arraigned Wednesday in Austintown Area Court on felony child pornography charges following a criminal investigation. Robert A. Basic Jr., 44, of Oak Trace Street, was arraigned on pandering obscenity involving a minor. No plea was required, and bond of $25,000 was set. Ryan N. Marenkovic, 44, of
Read moreRead moreState must hold GM accountable
Morning Journal | Editorial Ohio’s Tax Credit Authority is expected this month to assess whether General Motors should repay the state $60.3 million in tax incentives for its former assembly plant in Lordstown. The authority should rule that GM must pay back the full amount it received in tax credits because it closed its former
Read moreRead moreOhio AG Yost fights to reopen Line 5 pipeline in Great Lakes region
Toledo Blade | Tom Henry On the eve of a major hearing that could decide the fate of the Great Lakes region’s most controversial pipeline, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has asked the hearing’s judge to consider the potential loss of 1,000 northwest Ohio refinery jobs if he allows Enbridge Energy’s Line 5 to remain shut
Read moreRead moreGM Must Repay $60 Million in State Tax Credits, Ohio AG Says
The New York Times | By Reuters Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said Tuesday that General Motors Co should repay $60 million in state tax credits after it closed its Lordstown Assembly plant in March 2019. In a brief to the Ohio Tax Credit Authority, Yost said GM in 2009 agreed to maintain operations at
Read moreRead moreAttorneys General Denounce Dangerous “Defund the Police” Movement
In a letter to President Trump and congressional leadership, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and 16 attorneys general from across the country denounced the dangerous “defund the police” movement, and voiced support for empowering law enforcement to legally and ethically fulfill their duties. Scroll through and read the full letter below.
Read moreRead moreMan gets nearly 42 years in prison for sex trafficking a 14-year-old girl around Ohio
The Columbus Dispatch | Jim Woods Websites promoting prostitution in Columbus and other areas around Ohio in July 2019 featured an advertisement that offered sex with a 14-year-old girl. The man found responsible for that advertisement, 28-year-old Nicholas S. Cochran of Lima, Ohio, was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Columbus to 500 months
Read moreRead moreOhio couple who sold hand sanitizer on Amazon for 11 times the cost sued by attorney general
The Columbus Dispatch | George Shillcock A southeast Ohio couple is being sued by the state for hoarding hand sanitizer and selling it for 11 times the price to profit off of the COVID-19 pandemic. Marcus and Ellen Fultz of Athens are accused of using an Amazon account to resell hundreds of bottles of hand
Read moreRead moreOhio leaders announce new police reform efforts
Fox 28 Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced new efforts Wednesday for law enforcement reform in the state. The changes come after weeks of protests that were sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. DeWine said while there are multiple law enforcement agencies across the state that have worked to
Read moreRead moreOhio AG launches Facebook group to get community feedback on law enforcement
ABC6 There’s a new way to communicate your thoughts on police policies and practices to Ohio’s top cop. The Facebook group “Be Heard by the AG” is meant to be a place for people to air their grievances, convey their ideas, give feedback and share their experiences. And those will go directly to Ohio Attorney
Read moreRead more