Ohio State Building. (Photo: David DeWitt, Ohio Capital Journal.)
The Ohio Joint Legislative Ethics Commission has decided to take no further action on an ethics complaint filed against Ohio Republican Senator Brian Chavez over alleged oil and gas conflicts.
The Ohio Joint Legislative Ethics Committee did not take any action on the complaint within 14 days as required by Ohio law.
“This failed publicity stunt was nothing more than a slanderous smear campaign against a respected state senator, supported by California special interests who wanted to kill Ohio’s oil and gas industry,” he added. John Fortney, Republican spokesman in the Ohio Senate, – wrote in the statement.
Executive Director of the Ohio Joint Legislative Ethics Commission, Tony Bledsoe, said in an email that he could not comment on any “a specific matter that may or may not be considered by the JLEC.”
A group called Washington County for Safe Drinking filed an ethics complaint last month what argues Chavez’s alleged conflicts of interest and Chavez’s voting record as chairman of the Ohio Senate Energy Committee show that he prioritized personal financial gain.
“Our efforts are rooted in civic responsibility.” Washington County for Safe Drinking Water said in a statement. “… This is not radicalism, this is participation. A healthy democracy depends on accountability, balance and a commitment to justice for all.”
Buckeye Environmental Network, Save Ohio Parks and FaCT Ohio also signed the letter calling for an investigation.
The ethics complaint accused Chavez of rushing through legislation that could have benefited him financially.
Ohio Senate Bill 219 would amend the state’s orphan well program by proposing a special fund for plugging orphan wells and simplifying pre-work notification requirements.
An orphan well is an abandoned oil and gas well that has no owner, meaning no one is able to properly plug the well.
It also makes it easier for drilling companies to expedite project evaluations, limits a well owner’s liability after selling one of his wells, and eliminates the requirement for drillers to enter into road development agreements with local governments.
The bill was introduced by Ohio State Senator Al Landis, R-Dover, in June it passed the Senate in November and is now in the Ohio House of Representatives.
Since Chavez’s appointment to the Ohio Senate in December 2023, Chavez Well Service has bid on five orphan well contracts The complaint says he won one contract worth more than $200,000.
Chavez will be elected to a four-year term in 2024.
“If Senate Bill 219 were to become law, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources would receive less funding to protect Ohioans, while the oil and gas industry would benefit from reduced oversight,” he added. Washington County for Safe Drinking Water – wrote in the statement.
“Given Senator Chavez’s disclosed and undisclosed interests in the industry, he could personally benefit from the bill’s provisions.”
Washington County for Safe Drinking Water confirms this Chavez should have recused himself from any involvement in SB 219.
“Instead, he co-authored the legislation, expedited its passage, and publicly advocated for it on the Energy Committee, which he chairs,” Washington County for Safe Drinking Water said in a statement.
Ohio Orphan well program Since its inception in 1977, it has plugged approximately 2,300 abandoned wells.
Follow a Capital Journal reporter Megan Henry in Bluesky.
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