DeWine Pay-To-Play Cookbook: “Future Work” For Old Friends

Pat Flanagan is a Dayton-area lawyer with deep connections to the Ohio Republican Party. He’s also a big donor to Mike DeWine’s campaign. And in DeWine’s Attorney General’s office, that’s a recipe for special access.

On March 20, 2011, DeWine sent an email to his scheduler, instructing her to call Pat Flanagan to set up a meeting with lawyers from his law firm. “Discussion will include future work,” DeWine wrote.   The meeting was to include Mary Mertz, DeWine’s Chief of Staff, and Michael Hall, his  Director of Outside Counsel.  Hall responded shortly after confirming that he had recently spoken with Jim Swain, from Flanagan’s firm, about future work.

“Future work”, of course, means contracts to do business with the state, doled out by DeWine to loyal Republicans like Flanagan.

In the 80’s, Flanagan was head of the Montgomery County Republican Party.  These days, he’s a member of the Ohio Republican State Central Committee.  Last week, the Ohio Republican Party officially endorsed him to run for another term in 2013.

Interestingly, when Kasich’s people took over the State Central Committee, ousting Mike DeWine’s cousin Kevin DeWine as Chairman, it was Flanagan who attempted to make peace, praising Kevin and nominating him for a national committee seat.

Of course, you can’t have a pay-to-play scandal without some big dollar campaign contributions:

• Flanagan and his wife have personally given nearly $3000 to Mike DeWine’s campaign since 2010.
• Fourteen Employees of Flanagan’s law firm have contributed a total of $19,450.00 to DeWine’s campaign since July 2010.
• And on a single day in May of 2013, eleven employees of the firm each gave $1000 the DeWine campaign.

Here’s a copy of the email chain: