Huffman said he met with Creech recently.
“(I) told him that this, on its face, was very serious and I did not think that he could fill out his duties effectively as a legislator with this in the public sphere,” Huffman said.
Huffman said his decision to remove Creech from all his committee posts — including as chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, a position for which Huffman hand-picked Creech at the start of the year — was colored by the same conclusions.
“Under the circumstances, I think it will be very, very difficult for him to (fill out his duties),” Huffman said.
Huffman said he plans no further sanctions against Creech as of now.
Records from the investigation, first reported by the Dayton Daily News, show state investigators believed Creech’s alleged conduct could have risen to sexual imposition — a misdemeanor that Ohio law forbids being brought against someone without corroborating evidence.
No formal charges were brought against the third-term state rep and former Preble County commissioner, who denied the allegations. But the county prosecutor who reviewed the case called Creech’s behavior “concerning and suspicious.”
Creech released a statement about Huffman removing him from committees.
“I understand the Speaker’s interest in protecting the institution from the false allegations being leveled at me. I want to state clearly that I am 100 percent innocent of any wrongdoing as was concluded in the investigation,” Creech said.
“My focus will continue to be on serving my constituents and passing conservative legislation for the benefit of all Ohioans.”
Creech represents Preble County and portions of Butler and Montgomery counties.
On Wednesday, Huffman said he was notified about the state investigation into Creech, which concluded in October 2024, in the last week of April, after the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation indicated to his office that it’d be releasing the state’s investigative records to the media.
He said his office received the state’s investigative records on May 1, and Huffman himself was briefed on the documents on May 4.
Huffman’s directive to remove Creech from his committees came on May 9.
On May 12, Creech announced his 2026 candidacy to replace term-limited Sen. Steve Huffman, R-Tipp City.
Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, told reporters Wednesday that her caucus had not yet discussed efforts to pressure further sanctions against Creech.
“Certainly, the allegations, if true, are very serious and concerning. At this point, he is a member of the majority Republican caucus, so it’s up to the speaker I think in how to navigate this,” Russo said. “But, I think the larger issue here is we, as elected officials, are expected to uphold higher standards. And, again, the allegations are deeply concerning.”
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Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
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