Submitted by Ohioans for Amy Acton

COLUMBUS, OH— (8-19-26) Today, Dr. Amy Acton released her anti-corruption agenda to  protect Ohioans from the cost of corruption. Corruption has cost Ohioans billions of dollars over the past two decades, including the FirstEnergy scandal, which cost Ohio ratepayers more than two billion dollars. 

Acton said—

“When I am governor, hard-working Ohioans will stop footing the bill for the cost of corruption in our state. It is time to put the needs of working families over the wants of billionaires, corporations and special interests. As Governor, I will crack down on the corruption that raises our costs — requiring transparency, fighting to end pay-to-play schemes, and shining a light on bidding, contracting, and appointment processes to ensure decisions are made on behalf of our taxpayers. Ohioans deserve a governor who will put them first, not corporations and special interests.”

See the full plan below:

ActOn the Cost of Corruption

Enough is enough. It’s time to end the cost of corruption in Ohio and put working families first. 

On day one as governor, I will issue anti-corruption Executive Orders to restore ethics to Ohio’s government and tackle the cost of corruption in our state. 

Day One Executive Orders: 

  1. Create an Anti-Corruption Task Force
  • This task force will take public input, conduct audits, interview stakeholders, and make recommendations within my first 100 days in office to tackle corruption, fraud and abuse; add stricter oversight; lower costs; and ensure that our government is working for Ohioans.
  1. Close the Revolving Door and Clean Up Appointments
  • Ohio’s appointment process is broken and has been at the root of many of the state’s corruption scandals. We need stronger guardrails to prevent this cost of corruption before they happen.
    • Prohibit lobbyists, lawyers and consultants who have represented, been employed by or received compensation from any organizations regulated by any Ohio regulatory entity in the past three years to then serve on the same regulatory entity. Anyone who is pursuing a role must disclose all related relationships, including payments within the prohibition window. These restrictions will apply to appointments made by the governor, and I will encourage others with appointment authority to follow these same guidelines.
    • Require state regulators appointed by the governor to sign an ethics pledge for a mandatory “cooling off” period of three years. The pledge will prohibit any former regulatory commissioners from working for an organization they regulated. 
    • Require strict conflict of interest rules, including mandatory public recusal rules, for all political appointees to decision-making bodies. 
  1. Expand Disclosure and Transparency
  • Dark money in Ohio politics has taken our state backwards and raised prices for hardworking Ohioans. We need transparency in the contract and regulatory decision-making process because Ohioans deserve to know how their taxpayer dollars are being spent. This is a low-cost solution with enormous benefits for Ohio taxpayers.
    • Shine a light on dark money in Ohio politics by requiring state contractors and advocacy organizations that spend on political campaigns to publicly disclose their donors.
    • Require additional disclosure by state contractors and vendors, mandating that any company bidding on contracts above $50,000 disclose beneficial ownership, shareholders with 10% or higher equity, and political contributions — including donations to PACs and advocacy organizations.
    • Create a public procurement database listing state contracts, the winning bidder, the bid window, and the award amount so the state contracting process remains as transparent as possible.
    • The above directives will apply to activity within the constitutional and statutory authority of my role as governor, and I will encourage other constitutional office-holders to do the same.

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