Wilson Pushes Stricter Punishments for Theft in Office Convictions
April 18, 2018
Steve Wilson News
COLUMBUS—State Senator Steve Wilson (R-Maineville) recently testified before his Senate colleagues to argue in favor of legislation that will protect Ohioans from dishonest and corrupt public officials. Since 2010, roughly 135 former public officials have received criminal convictions for stealing taxpayer dollars, also known as theft in office. The proposed legislation would increase theft in office penalties to better reflect the high standards of the public position they hold.
“When elected officials are sworn in, we make a promise to faithfully serve the people of Ohio,” said Wilson. “Ohioans expect – and deserve – representatives who are ethically and morally deserving of holding public office, and I believe corrupt public officials who steal from our hardworking taxpayers should be held more accountable for abusing the power entrusted to them by the people.”
Currently, penalties for theft in office are capped at a third degree felony for all amounts of loss greater than $7,500. Therefore, under existing law, if an elected official were to steal over $1 million from the taxpayers, he or she would be charged with a third degree felony. However, a regular theft offense of the same amount could be prosecuted as a second or first degree felony. Effectively, after a certain threshold, theft in office actually receives a lesser penalty than regular theft offenses.
The legislation would also maintain that anyone who is found guilty of theft in office would be disqualified from holding any future public office, employment or position of trust in the state. In addition to stricter punishments, the bill would explicitly permit the cost of a public audit used to determine the amount of loss to be ordered as part of restitution when the victim is a public entity.
For more information on Senate Bill 268, click here.
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“When elected officials are sworn in, we make a promise to faithfully serve the people of Ohio,” said Wilson. “Ohioans expect – and deserve – representatives who are ethically and morally deserving of holding public office, and I believe corrupt public officials who steal from our hardworking taxpayers should be held more accountable for abusing the power entrusted to them by the people.”
Currently, penalties for theft in office are capped at a third degree felony for all amounts of loss greater than $7,500. Therefore, under existing law, if an elected official were to steal over $1 million from the taxpayers, he or she would be charged with a third degree felony. However, a regular theft offense of the same amount could be prosecuted as a second or first degree felony. Effectively, after a certain threshold, theft in office actually receives a lesser penalty than regular theft offenses.
The legislation would also maintain that anyone who is found guilty of theft in office would be disqualified from holding any future public office, employment or position of trust in the state. In addition to stricter punishments, the bill would explicitly permit the cost of a public audit used to determine the amount of loss to be ordered as part of restitution when the victim is a public entity.
For more information on Senate Bill 268, click here.
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