The Ohio Supreme Court ruled 6-1 today Butler County Auditor Nancy Nix will remain in office despite attempts by former auditor Roger Reynolds to unseat her, now that his criminal record is clean.
Reynolds filed suit in the high court Sept. 3 attempting to kick Nix out of office and asked for an expedited review. Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy issued an order merely saying Reynolds writ or challenge was denied.
Nix was thrilled when the Journal-News reached her shortly after the decision was released.
“I’m so happy, this has been so stressful for the office and myself and my family,” Nix told the Journal-News minutes after the order came down. “Wow, what a relief.”
Reynolds maintained the office was rightfully his, despite his previous felony conviction saying Nix is, “usurping, intruding into, or unlawfully holding or exercising a public office” and asked the court to order her to return it to him. The same court exonerated Reynolds of any criminal wrongdoing — when it refused to disturb the appellate court’s not guilty decision.
Reynolds was indicted in February 2022 on five counts for bribery and leveraging his public office to further his own interests on charges related to trying to help his family develop land in Liberty and West Chester townships. A third felony was added that July for him allegedly asking Lakota Schools officials to use $750,000 of the unspent fees he routinely returned to taxing bodies each year for a golf academy at Four Bridges Golf Course, where his family lives. The jury in December 2022 found no fault on the development claims but guilty on the Lakota charge.
Reynolds couldn’t serve as auditor with a felony on his record and vacated the office after the guilty verdict. He was fighting to regain the office and fill out the term — it runs until March 7, 2027 —he was elected to in November 2022 while he was under indictment.
Justice Michael P. Donnelly was the lone dissent.
“Because Reynolds is competent to hold office and because he was democratically elected by the citizens of Butler County to hold the office of Butler County auditor through March 2027,” he wrote. “I would conclude that continued service by the appointed auditor, respondent, Nancy Nix, would contravene the will of Butler County’s voters and that reinstating Reynolds to his elected position would safeguard their interests.”
Nix thanked Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser and his team for taking the matter so seriously and for fighting for her, her office and the taxpayers. As for Reynolds she said “it’s unconscionable, he’s lost his soul.”
“We’re thrilled to put it behind us and move on,” she said. “We always knew the law was on our side and we had faith the Supreme Court justices would see the lack of reason in his arguments.”
Neither Reynolds nor his attorney could be reached for comment immediately.
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