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A Tale of Two Shakedowns: More Pay-to-Play for Noe, Petro

( COLUMBUS ) – Calling today’s revelations that the top law enforcement officials of the State of Ohio are fully implicated in pay-to-play allegations, the Ohio Democratic Party today, renewed calls for Ohio ’s Attorney General and Supreme Court Justices to step aside from corruption cases engulfing Ohio ’s GOP.

In addition, ODP Chairman Chris Redfern called on Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien to investigate allegations that Attorney General Jim Petro personally solicited poltical donations in exchange for state contracts.

The Plain Dealer today reported that  Petro allegedly personally solicited campaign contributions in exchange for State special counsel contracts with Summit County attorneys. Petro is a candidate for Ohio Governor.

Meanwhile, yet another former aide to convicted Governor Bob Taft, is now ensnared in illegally helping indicted GOP insider Tom Noe exceed Supreme Court contribution limits to Chief Justice Tom Moyer, Justice Terrance O’Donnell and Justice Judith Ann Lanzinger.  

“For the integrity and confidence of our State, once again we ask Attorney General Jim Petro, Chief Justice Moyer and Justices O’Donnell and Lanzinger to immediately step down from any and all investigations of GOP officeholders, donors, and most specifically the Noe investigation,” said Redfern. Previous requests to recuse themselves in these cases have been ignored by Petro, Moyer and the Justices.

“In addition, the serious allegations of pay-to-play shakedown allegations against the Attorney General personally, require an independent investigation by the Franklin County Prosecutor,” said Redfern. “These allegations deserve full, detailed investigation.