A state senator has failed to disclose all his natural gas business interests as his company has sought and won state contracts in the sector, according to a complaint filed with state ethics officials Tuesday.
Sen. Brian Chavez, a Southeast Ohio Republican who chairs the Senate Energy committee, failed to disclose five LLCs that he and his wife allegedly maintain stakes in, as he’s legally required to do as a state senator. That’s according to a 20-page complaint, citing court records, business filings and other public records that identified the businesses.
Those companies span Chavez’ family’s interests in the oil and gas industry including production, disposal of millions of gallons of fracking waste, and sealing off abandoned oil and gas wells.
Since Chavez was appointed to the Senate in 2023 (he won election to a full term in 2024), Chavez Well Service submitted five bids for public contracts as large as $1.5 million to cap some of the tens of thousands of “orphan” wells that dot Southeast Ohio, according to documents filed with the complaint. The company won one of the five.
Meanwhile, on the legislative side, the Senate Energy Committee under Chavez’ leadership passed Senate Bill 219, which blocks governors from raiding and diverting money from a designated, roughly $222 million orphan well plugging fund, as has occurred in the past.
The legislation also raises fees for out-of-state companies who dispose of fracking waste in Ohio and makes other changes to favor Ohio’s natural gas production and disposal industries, which include Chavez’ businesses.
“When public officials with financial ties to an industry shape laws that directly benefit that industry, it undermines public trust across the entire state,” a news release shared along with the complaint states, with signatories including the Buckeye Environmental Network, the Ohio chapter of the Sierra Club, and Washington County for Safe Drinking Water.
The companies
Chavez’ financial statements indicate he served as CEO of Deeprock Disposal Operating LLC until resigning in 2024, but not its owner. He only disclosed ownership of Deep Rock Investments LLC.
The ethics complaint says he failed to disclose his interest in Deeprock Disposal Solutions, plus four other related entities.
Deeprock has run into environmental problems in the past, causing political problems of its own. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has suspended underground injection of fracking waste at two Deeprock injection wells, which store millions of gallons of hazardous byproduct at high pressure underground. Those two wells were found to have leaked over the course of years, ODNR says. Deeprock has been named as the defendant in related civil lawsuits.
Meanwhile, the city of Marietta, through its Republican leadership, has taken aggressive legal and political action to block Deeprock from winning permits to build more injection wells in Washington County.
John Fortney, a spokesman for the Senate Republican majority, said the complaint is “another baseless, desperate and hollow attack” with the goal of killing the oil and gas industry in Ohio. He said the petitioners believe criminals and illegal immigrants should have more rights than others.
“They are anarchists at heart, and are ready to surrender your country, state, and your reliable energy that heats your home,” he said.
Ethics
State ethics laws prohibit Ohio lawmakers from voting on issues that will have a “definite and particular” effect on their private business. They “may” seek permission to abstain from such votes – requests considered by the head of either chamber.
To help enforce those rules, lawmakers are required to disclose their debts, sources of income, business interests and others. Ethics officials say this promotes public confidence in the government and helps lawmakers themselves avoid potential conflicts.
The complaint triggers a review by the Office of the Legislative Inspector General’s 12-member, bipartisan board. If eight members agree the complaint has probable cause, the office can gather evidence for a quasi-trial that can eventually lead to misdemeanor charges.
Tony Bledsoe, executive director of the Office of the Legislative Inspector General, declined comment.
Other lawmakers have been accused of similar offenses. For instance, ex-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, after he was convicted of executing a bribery scheme, was also charged with failing to disclose various loans, legal judgments, and gifts on his financial disclosure statements.
Dave Dobos, a former representative from the Columbus area, failed to include his business interests on his initial financial statements – businesses that were laden with nearly $1.5 million spread over two legal judgments after a lawsuit alleging fraud. Dobos belatedly disclosed his association, apologizing to ethics officials for the “error.”