As Ohio lawmakers decide the fate of Cleveland Browns stadium funding, the Ohio Capital Journal reviewed political donations to lawmakers from Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam over the last 15 months, and asked lawmakers if it would impact their decision-making.

Multiple representatives for Haslam Sports Group were contacted by email and on social media but did not respond. An inquiry to the contact information on the group’s website also did not receive a response.

Background

Ohio House Republicans unveiled its version of the state budget on April 1.It included $600 million in state-backed bonds for a new domed stadium in Brook Park for the Cleveland Browns. 

Calling it “a once-in-a-lifetime project,” House Finance Committee Chair Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, praised the deal, suggesting the stadium and similar projects, are “huge economic drivers.”

The proposal was first announced last year, with the Browns looking to leave their current home at Huntington Bank Field on the lakefront in downtown Cleveland. The team is asking for $1.2 billion in taxpayer money to help pay for the project, which may cost $2.4 billion to build. Under their plan, $600 million would come from the state in the form of bonds, and be paid back by tax revenues.

Brook Park and Cuyahoga County would be asked for another $600 million in bonds, to be covered by parking, admissions, and income tax. The rest would be paid for by the Haslam Sports Group, which owns the Cleveland Browns, and if all goes well, the stadium will be open by 2029. 

State, county, and city officials have condemned the plan.

Gov. Mike DeWine recommends raising the sports betting tax and using the money to create a fund that all sports teams can use. DeWine has also argued that Ohio doesn’t have the money for such a project, saying “We can’t really afford to continue to put money in sports stadiums out of a general fund.”

Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, has said the state can’t afford to fully fund public education. Last week, he submitted a proposed budget decimating the amount called for under the Fair School Funding Plan by about two-thirds, to $226 million.

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb also criticized the idea, and Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne called the proposal “a risky bet with taxpayer dollars.” He believes the data isn’t there to justify his county’s investment. 

Jimmy Haslam is the Chairman and Managing Partner of the Haslam Sports Group, and his wife Susan “Dee” Haslam is CEO. They own the Browns, co-own the Milwaukee Bucks, and have operating rights to the Columbus Crew. Jimmy Haslam’s personal net worth is $8.5 billion, and the Haslam family overall is valued at $14.4 billion. 

Aside from owning the Browns, the Haslams are also significant political donors. They’ve contributed millions to federal and statewide causes over the years, and most recently were among the largest individual donors opposing this past November’s Issue 1 amendment against gerrymandering. Voters rejected the amendment, which sought to remove politicians from the map-making process.

Now, several of the lawmakers who will determine if the stadium proposal ends up in the state budget have received contributions from the Haslam family.

The Ohio Capital Journal reviewed campaign finance reports from Jan.1 2024 to April 3 2025, and asked lawmakers if this cash would impact their decision-making. 

Republicans

The majority of Haslam family donations were to Republican politicians. Jimmy and Dee Haslam held a fundraiser for J.D. Vance during his 2022 Senate race, and another for current Ohio Republican U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno. 

The state official who has benefitted most from the Haslam family’s largesse is Huffman, the House speaker who wants to slash funding for public education. 

Between Jan. 1, 2024 and March 24, 2025, Huffman’s political action committee, Huffman for Ohio, accepted $60,999 from Jimmy and Dee Haslam, according to campaign finance reports. The couple are among the Ohio House speaker’s largest individual donors. 

Huffman has voiced support for the Brook Park stadium idea.

“I’ve heard mostly positive things from our Republican caucus about it, so we’ll see what happens here,” the news organization Signal Cleveland quoted Huffman as saying. 

“Campaign contributions do not influence policy decisions,” Huffman’s office said when asked about the donations. 

Stewart, chairman of the House Finance Committee, didn’t receive donations from the Haslams directly, but his largest contribution was from Huffman’s PAC, $15,499 on Feb. 7.

“This is going to be a destination center,” The Columbus Dispatch quoted Stewart as saying about the project. “I really do think when the ribbon is cut and people walk in the door, I think people are going to be happy that this is in Ohio.”

House Finance Committee Vice Chair Mike Dovilla, R-Berea, received $2,500  from Dee Haslam and Jimmy Haslam on Aug. 16, 2024, in two separate donations worth $1,250.

There are twenty-one Republicans on the House Finance Committee. Including Dovilla, four have accepted direct contributions from the Haslams:

• Rep. Gayle Manning, R-North Ridgeville: $2,500
• Rep.  Sharon Ray, R-Wadsworth: $2,500
• Rep. Jamie Callender, R-Concord: $2,500

Manning’s donation was accepted most recently, on Sept. 13, while Dovilla’s was delivered on Aug. 16. 

Of the nine Republicans on the House Arts, Athletics and Tourism Committee, Committee Chair Melanie Miller, R-Ashland, and Rep. David Thomas, R-Jefferson, have accepted direct contributions from the Haslams.  Miller was given $1,250 on Aug. 19 last year by Jimmy Haslam, and Rep. Thomas received $2,500 from Jimmy and Dee on the same date. 

“Campaign contributions do not influence my policy decisions,” replied Rep. Miller in an email. 

Ohio Senate President Rob McColley, R-Napoleon, has voiced skepticism about the Haslams’  proposal, saying “I’m not in favor of something that would just simply be a handout. There would have to be an ability to be paid back.”

McColley received $30,999 from Jimmy and Dee Haslam last year, according to campaign finance reports. 

Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirkland, was appointed Senate Finance Committee Chair in January.

“It is imperative we are good stewards of your taxpayer dollars and make sure those funds are properly utilized,” Cirino said when given the position. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to accomplish our goals for our state’s continued prosperity and progress.”

Reports show Jimmy and Dee Haslam gave Cirino $15,000 in August of last year, and attended an event supporting Cirino on Aug. 29.

Three other Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee have received donations from Jimmy and Dee Haslam within the last year. They are:

• Sen. Nathan Manning, R-North Ridgeville: $5,000
• Sen. Tom Patton, R-Strongsville: $5,000
• Sen. Mark Romanchuk, R-Ontario: $2,500

Democrats

Only five Democrats appeared on the list of candidates to whom the Haslams have donated. Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney, D-Westlake, is a ranking member on the House Finance Committee. She accepted $5,000 from Jimmy and Dee Haslam last year. Rep. Terrence Upchurch, D-Cleveland, serves on the Arts, Athletics and Tourism Committee. He was given $1,250 by Jimmy Haslam on Aug. 27, 2024.

Upchurch, along with Reps. Dani Issacsohn, D-Cincinnati, and Dontavius Jarrells, D-Columbus, issued a statement calling for a pause on the stadium plan, writing, “Elected officials have a responsibility to the people we represent – not to developers, not to sports owners, but to working families.”

Three other Democrats are beneficiaries of contributions: 

• House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington:$2,500
• Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood: $2,500
• Rep. Darnell Brewer, D-Cleveland: $2,500

Does money influence policy?

Common Cause Ohio Executive Director Catherine Turcer said that major donors to candidates often consider these contributions an investment in their business.

“Ohioans aren’t naive. It’s not hard to connect the dots,” she said. “The legislators are considering cuts in education and services that impact our daily life. Campaign cash is the only reason our legislators would consider corporate welfare to the tune of $600 million.”

Political activity in Ohio increasingly requires large sums of money. Last year, the pro- and anti-Issue 1 campaigns raised a combined $42,600,000 from donors and dark money groups, while $113.2 million was raised in the race for Sherrod Brown’s Senate seat, now occupied by Republican Bernie Moreno. 

Money can often be wielded to pressure politicians. The Ohio House Bill 6 scandal, which led to the incarceration of former House Speaker Larry Householder, and the Cincinnati City Hall bribery investigation are recent examples. 

Both cases involved bribery and quid pro quos — neither of which can be proven by just a campaign contribution. 

In Turcer’s view, even if donations don’t constitute bribery, campaign cash is essential to a lawmaker’s survival, and generosity from donors or corporations often hangs over their heads. 

“Campaign contributions influence public policy with a wink and a nod. The avalanche of dark money or secret money doesn’t mean that our representatives aren’t influenced by it,” she said. “It just means that it’s harder for the public to clearly identify shenanigans. The role of money in elections is so pervasive that many seeking office just think of it as just business as usual.”

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This story is provided by Ohio Capital Journal, a part of States Newsroom, a national 501 (c)(3) nonprofit. See the original story here.