Reynolds pleaded not guilty. He was released on his own recognizance and ordered by Visiting Judge Daniel Hogan to report to pre-trial service. Reynolds’ trial date is set for Aug. 15.
The Ohio Supreme Court appointed Hogan, a retired Franklin County Common Pleas judge, to preside over Reynolds’ case after all seven Butler County Common Pleas judges in the general division recused themselves.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Reynolds, 52, is facing charges of bribery, two counts of unlawful interest in a public contract and misdemeanor charges of unlawful use of authority and conflict of interest. The charges stem from allegations that Reynolds used his public office to further his own interests.
The criminal case is being litigated by a special prosecutor, Brad Tammaro, from the attorney general’s office, and the charges came after a months-long investigation by the Butler County Sheriff’s Office and Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
On Thursday, Tammaro filed a motion to instruct the clerk of courts office to restrict public access to witness names and addresses “to ensure individual privacy rights and interests and fairness to adjudicatory process.”
Hogan granted the motion the next day.
The discovery document filed by Tammaro obtained by the Journal-News includes large black blocks where witness names are listed.
Ohio Attorney General spokesman Steve Irwin said, “We do not have any additional comments on the motion,” when asked for further explanation why the names cannot be part of public view.
Rogers’ attorney Chad Ziepfel did not respond to a request for comment.
Bribery is a third-degree felony with a possible maximum sentence of three years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000. The other two felonies are fourth-degree charges with penalties of six to nine months behind bars.
The charges relate to Reynolds allegedly using his position to facilitate the sale of his father’s property in West Chester Twp.
Ziepfel, has denied any wrongdoing on his client’s behalf.
“Mr. Reynolds denies these allegations and will contest the suspension. We again ask the public to keep an open mind about this matter until the real facts come out at trial,” Ziepfel said.
Reynolds was appointed auditor in 2008 and elected to his first full term in 2010.
On Tuesday, the Ohio Supreme Court empaneled the special commission that will decide whether Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds should be suspended pending the outcome of his criminal case.
Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor was required to appoint a special commission, comprised of three retired judges, but couldn’t do so until two weeks after she received the request from the attorney general to suspend Reynolds.
O’Connor received the suspension request from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost on Feb. 14, because of the felony case pending against Reynolds.
Prosecutors allege the bribery crime happened Nov. 8, 2019, and on or about Sept. 17, 2021, when Reynolds, an elected official, “approached a developer attempting to gain approval for a development project and offered to sell the development company his father’s land for $500,000, 2-3 acres of land valued at $21,000 by the Butler County Auditor’s Office, and requested the developer employ him as a consultant at a fee of $200,000 to guide the development project through local governmental requirements,” according to the bill for particulars filed last week.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
A second alleged felony charge of unlawful interest in a public contract happened between April 6, 2021 through Aug. 31, 2021, when Reynolds used his office to influence a public contract.
Specifically, Reynolds influenced governmental officials to secure approval of a Tax Increment Financing proposal to provide public funding from three government entities for infrastructure and improvements to Hamilton-Mason Road. Those improvements would benefit himself or a member of his family by providing public funds that would enhance the ability to develop property owned by his family, according to court documents.
Staff writer Denise Callahan contributed to this report.
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