The Ohio State Bar Association waded into a ballot battle for the first time in 25 years
A woman votes in the New Hampshire primary at Bedford High School on January 10, 2012 in Bedford, New Hampshire.
Photographer: (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)
Copyright Getty Images
Posted: 11/18/2012
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The state's largest professional organization of lawyers generally stays above the fray of election politics.
This year that was different.
For the first time in 25 years, the Ohio State Bar Association waded into a ballot battle. It involved a constitutional amendment to overhaul Ohio's redistricting process.
The association's decision to oppose the issue outraged many members. It sparked about 200 complaint emails and protest votes by some local bar associations. State filings show the bar spent at least $236,000 on a political consultant for the effort.
Critics say OSBA president Patrick Fischer may have been subject to political influence because he wants a seat on the Ohio Supreme Court.
Fischer and other bar association officials say the content of the proposed amendment, not politics, was behind their position.
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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