CINCINNATI (AP) — A legislative ethics committee will look into a civil lawsuit's fraud allegations against a southwest Ohio state legislator.
The Cincinnati Enquirer (http://cin.ci/XIWECU ) reports Ohio House Speaker William Batchelder says the joint ethics committee will investigate, although no criminal charges have been filed against Rep. Peter Beck of Mason.
A lawsuit filed last week in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court alleges Beck participated in a fraud cheating investors out of more than $1.2 million by spending their investments on non-business items including Beck's 2010 election campaign.
Beck has denied the allegations. His attorney, Konrad Kircher, said Tuesday he thinks the investigation is routine and Beck wasn't aware of any investment money being used for campaign contributions.
Fourteen investors from states including Ohio, Pennsylvania and Alabama filed the lawsuit seeking unspecified damages.
