In a letter dated Monday, State Representative Derek Merrin (R-Monclova Township) and his leadership team urged new House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) to rethink hiring Megan Fitzmartin as the taxpayer-funded position of the House GOP policy and communications director because she was “a chief campaign operative” of former Speaker Larry Householder, whose corruption trial is set to begin next week.
The letter claims that Fitzmartin’s appointment is “extraordinarily ill-advised and demonstrates questionable judgment” and that a “sizable number” of House Republicans are unlikely to cooperate with her.
Fitzmartin worked closely with Jeff Longstreth while he was engaging in activities that led to him pleading guilty to federal charges of racketeering conspiracy in connection with a scheme to receive bribes for former speaker of the house Larry Householder. She was also a top official with JPL and Associates.
On the eve of Householder’s criminal trial, the 135th General Assembly is starting. According to the letter, JPL and Associates data will be used as evidence in the case against him, according to recent disclosures by the U.S. attorney’s office, and it’s quite possible that Jeff Longstreth will be a witness, if not other people associated with him.
According to the letter, hiring Fitzmartin will result in pointless distractions and potential liability.
“Hiring such a close former associate of Housholder and Longstreth onto the house official staff is an unnecessary distraction for the caucus at best and a potential liability at worst,” the letter states.
Due to her past, the lawmakers question her “ability to be effective” in a leadership role.
Stephens sent a letter replying to their request for reconsideration stating his disappointment by the request and stands behind all House staff. He said their letter is “haphazard, self-serving, and diminishes our ability to continue hiring strong candidates.”
Stephens went on to accuse Merrin of hypocrisy after expressing the importance that the House does not punish individuals solely based on whom they have served in the past during their January 12th meeting.
“I was in full agreement then and remain so today as evidenced by recent hires who have served many different public officials,” Stephens said.
State Representatives Merrin, Phil Plummer (R-Dayton), Susan Manchester (R-Waynesfield), and Brian Stewart (R-Ashville) question Stephens’s judgment in the decision to hire Fitzmartin and urge him to consider a different qualified individual instead.
“There are numerous qualified individuals available to serve as our policy director and our communications director and we strongly urge you to reconsider this hire,” the letter states.
According to state Representative Beth Lear (R-Galena), with the current disorder in the Ohio House, she can understand the concerns of bringing Fitzmartin on staff.
“I saw both letters and understand the concern about hiring people who were closely associated with former Speaker Larry Householder and who could be called as a witness for his upcoming trial that starts this month. The Ohio House of Representatives is already in upheaval, it doesn’t make sense that the new Speaker would make a decision that draws additional negative attention,” Lear told The Ohio Star.
Republicans have voiced their outrage at the recent selection and choices of moderate Stephens for the Ohio Speaker of the House of Representatives after he fought in collaboration with the Democrats to garner more votes and win the seat despite the GOP Caucus‘ previous selection in November of Merrin.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]
