OHIO POLITICS OHIO REP. DENIED ALLEGATIONS TO LEADERS
Several months COLUMBUS — before his Nov. 14 resignation was demanded for allegations of improper conduct with a man in his Riffe Center office, senior Ohio House officials met with Rep. Wes Goodman to discuss “rumors and innuendo he was gay” and warn him not to have inappropriate contact with House staff.
The House chief of staff and chief lawyer met with Goodman in early summer after a non-House employee provided computer or cellphone screenshots implying Goodman “was gay and not faithful to his wife,” a House spokesman told The Dispatch on Monday.
Goodman, a Cardington Republican who touted his conservative and pro-family values, denied the allegations and said “fake screenshots were being circulated,” said Brad Miller, spokesman for the majority GOP House caucus and Speaker Cliff Rosenberger of Clarksville.
“During the meeting, Goodman was warned against having inappropriate interactions with staff and told ... that inappropriate communication with any staff (member) would not be tolerated under any circumstances,” Miller said.
The screenshots provided to the House show an electronic exchange purportedly involving Goodman (a photo of him and his wife are included with each entry) that includes an invitation to the other person to come to Columbus. “Dude, I’d love that. Wine, cigars, and hottub lol,” the former state representative is depicted as saying in a text message.
Goodman is shown saying via Facebook Messenger, “I have a couple of bi frat brothers so thankfully getting (oral sex) isn’t that hard lol.”
The misconduct by Goodman in his Riffe Center office did not involve Statehouse staffers or other members of the legislature, Miller has said. Goodman has not responded to requests for comment nor have House officials provided further details or records.
The Independent Journal Review website reported Monday that a man it did not identify had “shared graphic screenshots of Goodman with House staff and was told that the situation would be handled.”
Miller declined to identify the man who provided the screenshots.
“These were provided by someone who does not work in the House, nor was there any indication by the source that these communications involved anyone who worked in the House. Finally, the other person communicating with Goodman in these screenshots is unknown,” Miller said.
The man described himself as a “former political aide with friends in the administration of the Ohio House.” The website’s story, based solely on anonymous sources, said its reporting on sexual misconduct by Goodman was based on over 30 men who described “inappropriate” sexual approaches.