Weekly reporter roundtable: FBI raids offices of Ohio voter rights group

Published June 15, 2026 at 5:01 AM EDT

An American flag waves in the breeze next to a sign directing Ohioans to vote. — An American flag waves in the breeze next to a sign directing Ohioans to vote inside Tharp Sixth Grade School, Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023 in Hilliard, Ohio. It’s the final day that Ohio citizens can vote in a GOP-rushed special election on whether to make the state constitution harder to amend, likely having direct impact on abortion rights in the state

The FBI searched the Cleveland offices of Ohio Organizing Collaborative, a group that organizes political and voter engagement activities for left-leaning and progressive causes.

Before Ohio lawmakers left for their summer recess, they made a big push to try to crack down on types of welfare fraud, with new restrictions on both Medicaid and SNAP benefits.

However, their efforts to eliminate tax credits for data centers were hampered by a 40-year, 100% sales tax credit agreed to by then-Gov. John Kasich’s administration during his second term. That tax break to Google, Amazon and Meta and other companies has cost the state an estimated $2.3 billion.

We'll discuss this and more on the Weekly Reporter Roundtable show.

Guests:

Karen Kasler, bureau chief of the Ohio Public Radio Statehouse News Bureau
Andrew Tobias, state government and politics reporter for Signal Ohio
Megan Henry, reporter for the Ohio Capital Journal