Richard Cordray’s Bill O’Neill Problems Aren’t Going Away

December 8, 2017

Washington D.C. Bureaucrat and Ohio Democrat gubernatorial candidate Richard Cordray’s seemingly endless problems with his close friend Bill O’Neill are about to get worse. Today, Cleveland.com reports that O’Neill will step down from the Ohio Supreme Court on January 26 to further pursue his bid for Ohio governor after previously committing to drop out of the race and back Cordray if he entered. Now he appears to be going back on his pledge, claiming “Cordray needs an aggressive primary,” referring to him as a “friend.”

For months, Cordray’s relationship with O’Neill has put him in an awkward position, with questions and accusations that he violated the Hatch Act by reaching out through a mutual friend to secure O’Neill’s support for his gubernatorial candidacy in July. Things got even more uncomfortable when O’Neill published an offensive Facebook post last month that demeaned women, prompting numerous calls for him to drop out of the race. But while Cordray has reportedly kept in touch with O’Neill since he resigned from the CFPB and has had at least one 30 minute conversation with O’Neill, he has refused to condemn or even publicly comment on O’Neill’s outrageous conduct when asked about their relationship. Even though all four other Democrat candidates for governor were quick to denounce O’Neill and demand he end his campaign, Cordray remains silent, making him the only Democrat candidate who won’t condemn O’Neill.

Cordray’s astounding refusal to discuss his puzzling relationship with O’Neill or condemn his offensive comments on women will only continue to drag his candidacy down as he tries to ignore the controversy surrounding his embattled friend. But with O’Neill refusing to exit the race following reports of disagreements with Cordray over policy, questions surrounding their close relationship aren’t going away. Richard Cordray owes Ohioans an explanation for why he won’t denounce O’Neill’s offensive comments after every one of his fellow Democrat candidates have done so.