Ex-Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel faces contempt and jail time over divorce disputes
Former Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel and his ex-wife are both facing contempt of court and seven days in the Ashland County Jail, according to court records.
Mandel, who served as state treasurer for eight years and made multiple unsuccessful runs for U.S. Senate, and Ilana Mandel are squabbling over parenting time, control of their three children's college savings accounts, the kids' sporting events and allegations that they each entered one another's home without permission.
Ashland County Common Pleas Court Magistrate Paul Lange found them each in contempt and threatened jail time if they don't comply with orders over the next four months. If they follow the orders, they can apply to purge the contempt of court finding.
The couple filed for divorce in Ashland County, where neither of them live, in April 2020. The court dissolved the marriage in June 2020.
The two returned to court in May 2023 to renegotiate parental rights and responsibilities and the court hammered out an agreement in November 2023. But shortly after that, each side said their ex started violating the court agreement.
A fight for open records
The Mandels convinced Ashland County Judge Ronald Forsthoefel, a Republican, to seal records about the couple's dissolution, which included details about their income, property and shared parenting plan.
In February 2021, The Cincinnati Enquirer sued to open the records to the public. The paper won the lawsuit in October 2022 when the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that Forsthoefel improperly agreed to seal records.
While running in the GOP primary for U.S. Senate in February 2021, Mandel released redacted copies of the file to Ohio political reporters, including the Enquirer.
Who is Josh Mandel?
After serving on the Lyndhurst City Council, Mandel ran for the Ohio House in 2006 and served two terms before running for state treasurer in 2010. Just months after being sworn in as treasurer, Mandel announced his run for U.S. Senate. He lost to Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in 2012 and ran for reelection as state treasurer in 2014. He was ready to take on Brown again in 2018 but abruptly dropped out, saying he needed to attend to his wife's health.
In May 2022. Mandel lost the Republican primary to J.D. Vance and largely slipped out of public view.
Laura Bischoff is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Josh Mandel being threatened with jail time over divorce case
