COLUMBUS, Ohio — Legal professional Normal Dave Yost’s shock determination to resign from public workplace shook the Ohio political world. On Wednesday, he spoke about his determination for the primary time — addressing his subsequent steps, whereas additionally giving a pointy message to his opponents.
With only some extra weeks on the job, Yost gave us a 20-minute sit-down interview. We went extra in-depth on a number of different points, which is able to are available future reporting.
Whereas sitting throughout from one another in his downtown Columbus workplace, Yost mirrored on his years of public service, with me overlaying him for about half a decade.
“I am not conscious that you simply like something, Morgan,” Yost mentioned, to my laughter. “You are a resident critic.”
“Hey, hey, simply doing my job, identical to you,” I replied.
All through the years, Yost has made headlines, however his most up-to-date: resigning half a yr earlier than the top of his time period.
“What informed you that it was time to depart now?” I requested him.
“Nicely, I bought an surprising supply that I actually could not refuse,” he responded.
He’s becoming a member of the conservative and Christian nonprofit regulation agency Alliance Defending Freedom. He would be the agency’s new vice chairman of Strategic Analysis and Innovation.
“They’ve prevailed at the US Supreme Courtroom 18 instances within the final 15 years, so the chance to go work with them is simply thrilling,” he mentioned.
Yost anticipated to resign earlier than the November election
“You could not have waited eight months?” I requested him.
“Nicely, a part of the job goes to be standing up some new capabilities internally and I, candidly, did not wish to produce other folks doing that and displaying as much as learn the way it had been achieved,” Yost replied. “It was time, it was simply time.”
One of many facets of the job that Yost is most pleased with is his efforts in preventing public corruption, together with the FirstEnergy Home Invoice 6 bribery scheme. His newest case in opposition to the utility firm’s former executives resulted in a 10-2 hung jury.
FirstEnergy corruption case ends with hung jury
RELATED: FirstEnergy corruption case ends with hung jury
“Are you assured that your group will be capable to efficiently, with out you, get convictions?” I requested.
“Oh, yeah,” he mentioned.
As a result of the jury was so closely leaning in the direction of responsible, Yost feels sure the prosecution will succeed.
“We have a contemporary group approaching board with contemporary eyes. We’ll take the wonderful work that was achieved by the primary group. We’ll refine that,” Yost mentioned. “We’ll simplify among the narrative to make it slightly extra accessible, and I’m very assured that this case is simply and that it’ll end in conviction.”
“With this new group, are you in any respect frightened that you simply will not be there to supervise it?” I requested.
“Nicely, I am disillusioned to be leaving an entire bunch of issues, however that is the character. There’ll all the time be issues that you aren’t getting to complete should you’re an honest public official,” he mentioned. “If all you do is the issues which you can end when you’re there and take credit score for — you are a reasonably awful public official.”
Whereas wishing he might have prosecuted the FirstEnergy trial, he’s proud to have gotten his method on the retired lecturers’ pension fund case.
“You’ve got dug deep,” he mentioned, referencing years of labor exposing the corruption scheme contained in the greater than $100 billion pension fund.
Franklin County Courtroom of Widespread Pleas Choose Karen Held Phipps determined that State Lecturers Retirement System (STRS) board chair Rudy Fichtenbaum ought to be instantly faraway from his place. He and former board member Wade Steen, whose legal professional referred to as him a ‘hero’ to retirees, won’t ever be allowed to be on the board once more, the choice states.
What comes subsequent for the lecturers’ pension fund
The scandal centered on Steen and Fichtenbaum and their relationship with startup funding agency QED Applied sciences, run by former Ohio Deputy Treasurer Seth Metcalf and Jonathan (JD) Tremmel.
In brief, the 2 leaders “acted as brokers” of a startup funding agency with the intention to present them $65 billion of the fund, the choose mentioned.
“That’ll be a landmark case,” Yost mentioned. “I do not know if that statute has been used earlier than, and what it confirmed is that should you violate the obligation that you simply owe to your retirees, this statute stands for the proposition which you can lose your seat.”
Fortunately, the cash did not change palms, he mentioned. WEWS’ reporting was cited as inflicting one other presumably corrupt deal to fall via, in addition to quite a few resignations.
“Individuals are gonna assume twice earlier than they decide up a name and begin conspiring with some buddy about how they’re gonna transfer some cash round for investments,” he mentioned.
“Do you are concerned that one other legal professional normal could not focus as a lot on public corruption in a time when it is very politically divided?” I requested Yost, noting that he had gone after Republican officers.
“Nicely, slightly bit, as a result of the Supreme Courtroom of the US has proven a distaste for using some statutes that the federal authorities used to make use of to police the general public area, and the present Justice Division has different priorities,” he responded. “I feel which means it is extra essential to have sturdy enforcement on the state stage.”
He mentioned that of his views on the candidates for AG, and his appointed successor, Andy Wilson, he would not assume that anybody goes to disregard corruption within the quick time period, he mentioned.
Gov. Mike DeWine publicizes his decide for legal professional normal
RELATED: Gov. Mike DeWine publicizes his decide for legal professional normal
A number of days after Yost introduced his resignation, DeWine appointed Public Security Director Andy Wilson to fill the seat till January.
Whereas Yost garnered the assist of Democrats whereas preventing corruption, he bought their ire throughout high-profile circumstances involving abortion and training. His group has been preventing in court docket to permit for some provisions of the state’s blocked six-week abortion ban, in addition to making an attempt to enchantment a trial court docket’s ruling that deemed the EdChoice non-public faculty voucher system unconstitutional.
One among Yost’s largest public controversies consists of his denying the existence of a 10-year-old rape sufferer in Ohio who wanted to exit of state to get an abortion. This was promptly fact-checked by the Columbus Police Division, which arrested the alleged perpetrator. In an interview with me in 2025, he mentioned that his feedback have been made early into the investigation, and mentioned the case was a “horrible tragedy.”
Native prosecutors additionally went toe-to-toe with Yost and Sec. of State Frank LaRose, who helped indict a lifeless man for voter fraud.
Useless man’s voter fraud indictment results in native county’s feud with AG’s workplace
Like with trials, Yost has had his fair proportion of wins and losses.
His political goals of being governor evaporated in 2025, when the GOP endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy over him, which he informed us in December was the mistaken alternative.
Ohio GOP endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy in Could. AG Dave Yost nonetheless says it was the mistaken alternative.
“Do you are concerned about the way forward for Ohio politics?” I requested him on Wednesday.
“Is there a future for Ohio politics?” he responded, smirking.
“Nicely, we’re right here, aren’t we?” I replied, noting that each he and Gov. Mike DeWine, leaders from earlier than the MAGA period, aren’t looking for one other workplace in state politics. “Do you assume that Ohio is transferring in the proper route proper now?”
“That is a tricky query,” he responded.
He famous his considerations in regards to the public training system and youngsters falling behind in literacy. He additionally introduced up considerations about Ohio’s vitality coverage, with information facilities hurting common shoppers.
“There are issues that we must be severely fascinated about the place we do not have route, and we want route,” he mentioned. “However general, Ohio is an efficient place to reside. It is entering into the proper route. Our communities are largely thriving.”
However what Ohio does want is extra understanding, he mentioned.
“Crucial factor about you shouldn’t be your political beliefs or your political identification. These issues have penalties, and they’re essential, however they are not remotely crucial factor a few human being,” Yost mentioned. “Our means to reside collectively wants to start out with the conclusion that our price as human beings transcends politics.”
He’ll miss his employees and with the ability to struggle for the regulation, he mentioned.
“I am an optimist about what the long run holds,” Yost mentioned.
However what’s for certain — the way forward for Ohio politics doesn’t embody him.
“What would you say to a few of your colleagues who say that you simply’re giving up?” I requested him.
“Gee,” he replied, after a pause.
He went via a listing of all of the work he has achieved for years, together with preventing for shoppers.
“I have been within the struggle, and the truth that I bought a proposal to do one thing else with half a yr left on my time period — yeah, they’ll go pound sand,” the legal professional normal mentioned, with a smile.
Observe WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Fb.
