Foley’s address to fellow Republicans came a week after local Republican Party leaders called for his resignation, saying if Foley chose to run for reelection to his seat, he’d do so without the support of the local party.
Montgomery County Republican Party Chairman state Rep. Phil Plummer, R-Butler Twp., said the party did not take any formal action against Foley at Monday’s meeting, but the party plans to bring up the matter of censuring the clerk of courts during a future meeting.
Plummer rejected accusations of politics motivating the investigation against Foley’s office.
“A Republican auditor of state investigated him,” he said. “There’s definitely no political motivation.”
Foley, indicted July 31 along with Montgomery County Municipal Court Judge James Piergies, faces a dozen counts. They include attempted unlawful interest in a public contract, three counts of complicity to commit unlawful interest in a public contract, two counts of theft in office, one count of unauthorized use of computer, cable or telecommunication property, and misdemeanor counts of solicitation of political contributions from public employees and prohibition against partisan political activity.
The charges were brought by Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber, a Republican.
Foley told Republicans at Monday’s meeting that he will be running for reelection in November. He won an unopposed Republican primary this spring and faces Democratic challenger Lynn Cooper this fall.
“I’m not going to comment on Mr. Foley’s ongoing criminal charges, the calls for him to step down or his decision not to resign,” Cooper said on Tuesday. “My sole focus is going out every day and earning the vote of every member of our community and showing folks why I’m the clear best choice to serve our county as our next clerk of courts.”
An arraignment for Foley and Piergies is scheduled for Monday.
Foley said he looks forward to his day in court and said the allegations against him sprouted from “dishonest” ex-employees at his office.
“I want to continue the good work that we’re doing that is positively impacting the good people of Montgomery County every day,” he said. “I am confident that once the evidence is heard that I will beat these politically motivated accusations.”
The charges follow an Ohio Auditor’s Office investigation that included a raid of the Montgomery County Clerk of Courts Office in 2022.
The Special Investigations Unit of the Ohio Auditor’s Office began an investigation after receiving an anonymous complaint in October 2022 concerning solicitation of campaign contributions from employees and other political activities, among other allegations, Faber announced this month.
Credit: Facebook
Credit: Facebook
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