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| Jim Petro | |
|---|---|
| Name | Jim Petro |
| Office | 47th Attorney General of Ohio |
| Term start | 1995 |
| Term end | 2003 |
| Predecessor | Lee Fisher |
| Successor | Betty Montgomery |
| Office2 | 30th Auditor of Ohio |
| Term start2 | 2003 |
| Term end2 | 2007 |
| Predecessor2 | Barbara S. Jones |
| Successor2 | Mary Taylor |
| Birth date | 1948 |
| Birth place | Cleveland, Ohio |
| Party | Republican Party |
| Alma mater | Case Western Reserve University School of Law; Syracuse University |
Jim Petro is an American lawyer and politician who served as Attorney General of Ohio from 1995 to 2003 and as Auditor of Ohio from 2003 to 2007. A member of the Republican Party, he is known for consumer protection initiatives, legal reforms, and public service in Ohio. His career spans roles in state government, federal appointments, and nonprofit advocacy.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Petro attended local schools before pursuing higher education at Syracuse University where he earned a bachelor's degree. He later studied law at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, obtaining a Juris Doctor and entering the bar. During his formative years he was influenced by civic institutions such as Cuyahoga County civic groups, local chapters of The Boy Scouts of America, and community legal aid organizations affiliated with Legal Aid Society (Cleveland).
Petro began his legal career in Cuyahoga County, Ohio offices and served as a prosecutor in municipal settings, collaborating with offices like the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor. He became involved with statewide legal networks including the Ohio State Bar Association and worked with federal entities such as the United States Department of Justice on matters of consumer protection and civil litigation. Elected Attorney General of Ohio in 1994, Petro succeeded Lee Fisher and led statewide initiatives against corporate fraud, collaborating with agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Securities and Exchange Commission. His office pursued consumer protection suits, antitrust investigations, and coordinated with prosecutors from Franklin County, Ohio and Hamilton County, Ohio.
As attorney general he initiated programs with organizations like the Better Business Bureau and the American Bar Association to increase legal aid access, and he worked with the National Association of Attorneys General on multi-state settlements. Petro's tenure involved litigation that touched on institutions including Ohio State University, AEP (American Electric Power), and national corporations headquartered in Columbus, Ohio and Cincinnati, Ohio.
A prominent figure in the Republican Party in Ohio, Petro campaigned statewide in contests that involved interactions with politicians such as George Voinovich, Bob Taft, and John Kasich. He mounted a campaign for governor in the 2006 cycle, entering a primary that included contenders connected to factions of the party and figures like Ken Blackwell and J. Kenneth Blackwell. His campaigns engaged with local party organizations in counties such as Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Franklin County, Ohio, Summit County, Ohio, Lucas County, Ohio, and Mahoning County, Ohio, and coordinated volunteer efforts through civic groups including Columbus Chamber of Commerce affiliates.
During electoral seasons Petro participated in debates alongside statewide candidates, interacted with media outlets like The Plain Dealer, The Columbus Dispatch, and Cleveland Plain Dealer columnists, and navigated endorsements from organizations such as the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation and business coalitions based in Cleveland and Dayton, Ohio.
Elected Auditor of Ohio in 2002, Petro succeeded Barbara S. Jones and focused on fiscal accountability, audit reform, and transparency initiatives aimed at public institutions including Ohio Department of Education, Ohio Department of Transportation, and municipal governments in Akron, Ohio and Youngstown, Ohio. He strengthened audit procedures in collaboration with the Government Accountability Office standards and state legislative committees in the Ohio General Assembly including members from the Ohio Senate and Ohio House of Representatives.
Petro's auditor office pursued performance audits affecting entities such as the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation, local school districts, and municipal utilities tied to regional agencies like the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District. He worked with watchdog groups including the Common Cause chapter in Ohio and the Sunshine Review movement to increase public reporting standards.
After leaving elected office, Petro engaged with nonprofit and academic institutions including Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland State University forums, and think tanks with ties to The Heritage Foundation and regional policy institutes. He served on boards and advisory councils for organizations such as United Way of Greater Cleveland, Greater Cleveland Partnership, and legal education programs affiliated with the Ohio State Bar Association.
Petro participated in public policy discussions with figures from Harvard Kennedy School, Brookings Institution, and state policy centers in Columbus, Ohio, contributing to panels on ethics, fiscal policy, and consumer protection alongside scholars from Syracuse University and practitioners from the American Civil Liberties Union and the Federal Trade Commission.
Petro's personal life includes residence in Cleveland, Ohio area communities and involvement in civic organizations such as Rotary International clubs and alumni networks of Syracuse University and Case Western Reserve University. His legacy is reflected in reforms and policies cited by successive officeholders like Betty Montgomery and Mary Taylor, and in legal precedents involving state consumer protection and audit practices referenced by the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers.
Category:Ohio Republicans Category:Ohio Attorneys General Category:State Auditors of Ohio