Right-wing super PACs connected to legal activist Leonard Leo are deploying millions of dollars in advertisements to influence the Ohio Supreme Court elections.. These campaigns specifically target Democratic candidates Jennifer Brunner and Marilyn Zayas to maintain a conservative judicial majority in the state.
The $1 billion "court capture" operation in Ohio
The current judicial landscape in Ohio is being shaped by what the report describes as a massive, $1 billion-plus "court capture" operation led by Leonard Leo. This strategic effort aims to install conservative jurists across the country, and the recent shift in Ohio to a 6-1 right-wing majority may represent one of the most successful chapters of this national campaign.
According to the report, this influence is not merely about individual elections but about systemic changes to how judges are perceived and selected. The movement has successfully transitioned the Ohio Supreme Court from a body that once featured a more balanced partisan split to one that is now firmly under conservative control.
"Soft on crime" attacks against Brunner and Zayas
Since mid-October, two right-wing super PACs have been running aggressive advertisement campaigns designed to portray Democratic candidates as being lenient on criminal activity.. These ads specifically target Jennifer Brunner,the current lone Democrat on the Ohio Supreme Court, and appellate court judge Marilyn Zayas, who is running against Republican Dan Hawkins.
One of the primary groups driving this messaging is Ohioans for a Healthy Economy Action,a super PAC reportedly associated with figures such as Jimmy Haslam and Vivek Ramaswamy. As the report states, the campaign has also utilized highly personal tactics, including advertisements featuring the estranged mother of candidate Amy Acton, who makes disparaging claims about her daughter's character.
From 70% contributor favorability to partisan labels
The push for conservative dominance in Ohio is built upon a foundation of legislative and procedural shifts. In 2021, Republican lawmakers inssisted on placing political party labels on judicial candidates, a move that critics argue erodes the tradition of merit-based selection and transforms neutral arbiters into partisan actors.
This shift mirrors long-standing concerns regarding the influence of money in Ohio's judicial system. The report notes that in 2006, data suggested a troubling correlation between campaign spending and judicial outcomes, with justices voting in favor of their contributors approximately 70 percent of the time. This historical pattern of influence has been further complicated by the rise of groups like ALEC and the Honest Elections Project, which are tied to the broader Leonard Leo network.
The mystery of the second super PAC's backers
While the connections between Ohioans for a Healthy Economy Action and figures like Vivek Ramaswamy have been identified,significant questions remain regarding the full scope of the spending. the report mentions a second super PAC tied to Leonard Leo's network that has spent "untold sums" on these advertisements , yet the specific identities of its primary donors remain obscured.
Observers are left to wonder exactly how much total capital is being injected into the Ohio Supreme Court races and which specific corporate or political interests are fueling the second group's efforts. Without full transparency, the true scale of the dark money influence on Ohio's highest court remains unverified.
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