Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine picked Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson to serve as state attorney general, starting June 7 when Republican Dave Yost steps down.
Wilson pledged to serve in the post with energy and passion.
“For the seven months that I’m in there, we’re going to go 100 miles per hour,” he said at a press conference in the Ohio Statehouse.
When asked if he’ll commit to retrying the case against former FirstEnergy executives Chuck Jones and Mike Dowling, Wilson said he needs to review every case, including that one.
“Look, I got to sit down with the trial team. It was a mistrial. I want to know why it was a mistrial, why they think it was a mistrial,” Wilson said. “My experience as a prosecutor is such that the investigative team knows best about their case.”
Yost’s office brought charges against Jones and Dowling, accusing them of paying a $4.3 million bribe to Sam Randazzo before he became chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. Randazzo died by suicide in 2024.
DeWine said he has confidence in Wilson, a man who has served in key roles for the governor for more than seven years.
DeWine appointed Wilson head of the Department of Safety in 2022. The department has 4,000 employees and a biannual budget of $2.5 billion. DeWine said he’ll announce a new director before Wilson takes over as attorney general.
Who is Andy Wilson?
After serving in the Ohio National Guard, Wilson started his legal career in 2002 as an assistant prosecutor in Clark County, specializing in crimes against children. He was later appointed to and then elected as Clark County prosecutor. He joined the DeWine administration in January 2019 as a special advisor for criminal justice issues.
Wilson was a star prosecutor in the fall 2022 Pike County massacre trial of George Wagner IV. Even though he joined the case late, as No. 2 to Special Prosecutor Angela Canepa, he handled several key witnesses in the trial. He also made the closing statement, offering a dramatic recap of the case and assigning two of the murders to George’s father, George “Billy” Wagner III, still awaiting trial.
As public safety director, Wilson was on the ground in the hours after the East Palestine train derailment, helping the highway patrol evacuate residents. In February 2023, about 50 train cars, 11 of which carried hazardous materials, derailed in a fiery wreck.
Yost leaving June 7 to join Alliance Defending Freedom
Yost is joining Alliance Defending Freedom as its vice president for strategic research and innovation, according to a May 7 news release from the organization.
Alliance Defending Freedom has fought against transgender rights and advocated for private school vouchers and wedding industry businesses that deny same-sex couples services. The group was instrumental in overturning the landmark abortion decision Roe v. Wade.
Yost took over as attorney general in 2019. His plan to run for governor this year was cut short after Ohio Republicans and President Donald Trump coalesced around entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, effectively ending the GOP primary.
Yost is the only sitting statewide Republican − aside from DeWine − who isn’t running for another office.
In the attorney general’s race in November, Ohio Auditor Keith Faber, a Republican who has held elected offices for decades, will face off against Democrat John Kulewicz, a former partner at Voyrs, Sater, Seymore and Pease.
DeWine said he considered appointing Faber, who he supports, but decided it wasn’t the right move.
Under the Ohio Constitution, the governor appoints people to vacancies in statewide elected offices. There is no confirmation process.
Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Patricia Gallagher Newberry contributed to this report.
State government reporter Laura Bischoff can be reached at lbischoff@usatodayco.com and @lbischoff on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: DeWine picks Public Safety Director Andy Wilson as attorney general
Reporting by Laura A. Bischoff, Cincinnati Enquirer / The Columbus Dispatch
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