There was one question echoing through Thursday’s Scioto County Commissioners meeting: “Where’s Bryan Davis?”
The commissioner was absent for the second week in a row following the announcement of corruption indictments against him and his wife Lori.
A “Personal Day”
Commissioner Merit Smith told the crowd he received a text from Davis before the meeting saying he would not be there and was “taking a personal day.”
“Good question,” Smith said when citizens asked about Davis’s whereabouts. “I don’t know what that means.”
Commissioner Scottie Powell added that Davis has not been in the commissioners’ offices since the indictments were made public—other than briefly to clear out some belongings.
“We don’t have vacation days or personal days as elected officials,” Powell said. “So you know, it’s a matter of are we showing up to work or not. Since his indictment, this office has not heard from Commissioner Davis.”
Davis’s Options
Powell explained that the commissioners have no authority to remove Davis from office. Instead, Ohio law requires a process that could play out in several ways:
Resignation: Davis could step down voluntarily.
Voluntary Paid Leave: Davis could agree to go on leave with pay until his case is resolved.
Judicial Panel Ruling: If he refuses, a panel of retired judges appointed by the Ohio Supreme Court will decide whether he should be placed on paid administrative leave.
If Davis is placed on leave, the Scioto County Republican Central Committee would appoint a temporary replacement. In that scenario, Powell noted, the county would be paying two commissioners at once.
Urgent Land Bank Meeting
Powell also announced an emergency Land Bank meeting for Friday at 9 a.m. at the Scioto County Courthouse. The board will need to decide who will sign checks and invoices now that Davis’s role as a Land Bank signatory is in question.
“As it sits right now, Commissioner Davis is one of those signatories,” Powell said. “He has not stepped down from the Land Bank. We do need to take action, and pretty quick, to ensure the contractors that are dealing with the land bank can get paid.”
The Indictments
Davis and his wife Lori were indicted last week in connection with the same corruption scandal that brought down former Economic Development Director Robert Horton.
Charges against Bryan Davis include:
- Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity
- Two Counts of Theft in Office
- Aggravated Theft
- Money Laundering
Charges against Lori Davis include:
- Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity
- Money Laundering
- Receiving Stolen Property
- Tampering with Evidence
The indictments confirmed what many had long speculated: the Davises were the unnamed “John and Jane Doe” co-conspirators listed in the Horton case.
Horton himself was indicted on theft in office, aggravated theft, money laundering, bribery, and tampering with public records. Prosecutors say Horton and his wife Lioubov used sham companies to funnel public money from the Southern Ohio Port Authority and Minford Emergency Ambulance Service into their own pockets.
History Repeating
The current situation feels like a replay of 2024, when the county struggled with whether to keep Horton in place after investigators raided county offices. At that time, Commissioners Bryan Davis and the late Cathy Coleman voted to reinstate Horton because he was the only person authorized to pay bills. Powell was the only “no” vote.
With Davis absent, citizens are left with unanswered questions. Whether he resigns, takes leave, or is forced aside by a panel of judges, Powell said, remains unknown:
“We’re very much in the dark.”
