Ohio Ethics Commission

About the Ethics Commission

The Ohio Ethics Commission promotes ethics in public service to strengthen the public's confidence that government business is conducted with impartiality and integrity.

The Ohio Ethics Law establishes ethical standards for public officials and employees by requiring personal financial disclosure, prohibiting certain unethical conduct with criminal penalties, and providing uniform ethics oversight through statewide commissions representing the three branches of government.

The Commission has jurisdiction over Ohio’s Executive Branch, including public officials and employees at the state and local levels of government, except legislators, judges, and their staffs.

What Do You Need Today?

Featured Content

Annual Report

Facts, stats and figures on our work over the years

Newsletters

Timely info and fresh updates on Ethics Law topics

Podcast

Bite-sized true crime stories from here in Ohio

Public Records Requests

It is the intent of the Ohio Ethics Commission to at all times fully comply with and abide by both the spirit and the letter of Ohio’s Public Records Act. Most of the documents created, received by, or that come under the jurisdiction of the Commission are public records.

Upon request the Commission shall make public records available for inspection promptly or provide copies to the requester within a reasonable period of time. Requesters are not required to identify themselves, but will need to provide a mailing or e-mail address in order for the Commission to provide copies. Paper copies of requested records are provided at the cost of $.05 (five cents) per page. There is no charge for records provided electronically. Requesters may specify which option they prefer.

For more information, including the Ohio Ethics Commission's record retention policy, please refer to the Commission’s Public Records Policy. Questions regarding the Commission's Public Records Policy may be addressed to General Counsel James Hood at james.hood@ethics.ohio.gov.

Requesters may make requests:

• In person at the Commission office
• Via telephone to (614) 466-7090
• Via e-mail:
  • For Financial Disclosure Statements - Eric Bruce at eric.bruce@ethics.ohio.gov
  • For an Ethics Commission publication or other public records request - James Hood at james.hood@ethics.ohio.gov
• Via mail:
  Ohio Ethics Commission

  30 West Spring Street, L-3

  Columbus, Ohio 43215

Please note that records may contain information that must be withheld pursuant to ORC Chapters 149 and 1347 or that some records may be exempt from release in their entirety. Reasons for any such withholding or redaction are provided at the time of the inspection or at the time the copies are provided.

Requesting a Financial Disclosure Statement

The Ohio Ethics Commission has retained all of the financial disclosure statements filed with it for the last ten years. Most of those statements are public records and you can request copies of them. To obtain a copy of any statement, please contact us and provide the following information:

• Name of the person who filed the statement;
• Public position in which the filer serves or served;
• Public agency that the filer serves or served; and
• The calendar year of information you are seeking.

For example, to obtain the statement filed in 2024 for calendar year 2023 by the mayor of Oak City, you would provide:

• Name: Robert J. Smith
• Title: Mayor
• Public Agency: Oak City
• Year: 2023

Visit Us