Ohio House speaker regains control of GOP funds after court ruling

An appeals court in Columbus, Ohio has ruled in favor of returning control over Ohio House Republicans’ campaign funds to Speaker Jason Stephens. The ruling, issued on Thursday, does little to resolve an ongoing internal party conflict that has spanned a year. Stephens sought to emphasize unity following the court’s decision, expressing a commitment to supporting Republican candidates in upcoming elections and opposing a redistricting ballot initiative.

Republican Representative Rodney Creech, a vocal opponent of Stephens, responded by suggesting that Stephens had only recently started backing the House majority after assuming the speakership around 20 months ago.

Stephens had taken on the role of speaker in the GOP-supermajority chamber unexpectedly in January 2023, with backing from a minority of the Republican caucus and all House Democrats, sparking discontent among Republicans supporting Representative Derek Merrin for the position. This led to various efforts by Merrin’s backers to challenge Stephens’ leadership, including the attempt to control the campaign finances.

Following an unsuccessful bid by Merrin for a congressional seat, a group aligned with his faction elected Representative Phil Plummer to oversee the campaign fund, a move that Stephens did not acknowledge. The dissenting group has argued that they should be in charge as they represent the majority of the House caucus.

However, the Franklin County Common Pleas Judge’s initial ruling in June, which favored the dissenting faction’s argument, was overturned by the appellate court. The court stated that it is not within its jurisdiction to intervene in the political affairs of another branch of government.

The court refrained from addressing the key issue of the meaning of “caucus” in the statute governing the control of the campaign fund, noting that both parties involved in the dispute lay claim to leading the caucus. Plummer contested the court’s decision, asserting that he was operating in accordance with the law and that the ruling would have no practical impact on their activities.

Plummer affirmed that the work with the alliance would continue, emphasizing the employment of full-time staff and campaign managers for targeted races. Plummer, who has strong ties to Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman, is expected to face a challenge from Huffman for the speakership. Huffman and his allies have made gains in unseating several of Stephens’ supporters in Republican primaries, falling just one vote short of removing him from his position earlier this year.