Jon Stainbrook, chairman of the Lucas County Republican Party, has filed a $1 million lawsuit against Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted, accusing the secretary of organizing an illegal investigation to justify removing him from the county board of elections.
The case was filed by Columbus attorney William Todd at the Ohio Court of Claims in Columbus on Friday, the last day allowed under the one-year statute of limitations.
The State Personnel Board of Review earlier this year dismissed a whistle-blower claim and a wrongful termination claim by Mr. Stainbrook, both of which on the grounds that he was an official of the board, not an employee. Mr. Todd said that because Mr. Stainbrook’s been ruled not to be an employee, the court of claims is the logical venue for his claim.
The 25-page lawsuit documents Mr. Stainbrook’s view that the so-called transparency committee Mr. Husted convened to investigate alleged wrongdoing and irregularities allowed unproven accusations against Mr. Stainbrook to be aired without sworn witnesses.
The lawsuit said Mr. Stainbrook’s personal and professional reputation was severely damaged by the process.
“It is patently obvious that the secretary used Mr. Stainbrook as a scapegoat to punish him for the various problems with the [elections board],” the case alleges.
Mr. Husted’s press secretary, Joshua Eck, said Mr. Husted had no comment on the allegations other than, “in the Secretary of State’s Office, we are focused on solutions for the future, not the problems of the past.”
Mr. Stainbrook, a musician, freelance writer, and public relations contractor, was appointed to the elections board in 2011, after he was elected county Republican chairman in 2008.
Mr. Husted removed him, along with GOP board member Tony DeGidio and Democratic board member Ronald Rothenbuhler in June, 2014. Mr. Husted appointed Democrat Brenda Hill and Republicans Mark Wagoner, Jr., and Peter Handwork to the vacancies.
Mr. Husted blamed the three dismissed board members for a period of dysfunction and for a chaotic May 6, 2014, primary election night, as well as for failing to refer campaign finance cases to the Ohio Elections Commission and for failing to schedule regular board meetings.
Mr. Stainbrook’s suit initially named Mr. Husted, one of his deputies, and the four people who served on the transparency committee. The court dismissed all the individuals, leaving only the office of the Ohio Secretary of State, because only state agencies can be sued in the court of claims.
Contact Tom Troy: tomtroy@theblade.com or 419-724-6058 or on Twitter @TomFTroy.
First Published June 11, 2015, 4:00 a.m.
