Suit Filed Against Taft, Petro

A Columbus area attorney, Kevin O'Brien, claims a Jim Petro campaign staffer by the name of Amy Gravengaard offered O'Brien a position as special counsel to the Attorney General in exchange for a campaign contribution. Another Columbus area attorney claims the Ohio Republican Party created loopholes around the $1,000 donation cap that enabled him to exceed donations of $1,000 to the various GOP officeholders and the party itself. Gravengaard replaced Kyle Sisk on Petro's staff after Auditor Betty Montgomery complained in 2003 that Sisk was strongarming state employees for campaign contributions to Petro's candidacy. Another part of the lawsuit claims in 2001 when both Petro and then State Treasurer Joe Deters were running for Attorney General, attorney Lee Smith shipped donations of $5,000 to each candidate via county parties that favored each candidate and in turn handed the $5,000 over to Petro and Deters, illegaly.
It should be noted that Kevin O'Brien is a Democrat and his ex-wife works for Attorney General Jim Petro.