Ohio's House speaker has ordered an ethics investigation into whether a consultant for Wright State University possibly advised the school's president to offer to throw him a major fundraiser while he was advocating for state money.
Emails reviewed by the Dayton Daily News show consultant Ron Wine advised WSU President David Hopkins to suggest the fundraiser while asking Speaker Cliff Rosenberger for help raising $10 million in private and public funding for a September presidential debate.
In the emails, Wine advised Hopkins to tell Rosenberger that school supporters could host the fundraiser.
Wine says he's never advised WSU to engage in any activity based on a "pay-to-play" political strategy. University spokesman Seth Bauguess says Hopkins hasn't offered to host a political fundraiser on behalf of the school community.
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