COLUMBUS, Ohio — As 2022 comes to a close, 10TV interviewed newly re-elected Attorney General Dave Yost on the biggest headlines of the year.
Reporter: Let’s begin with the Google Search lawsuit. We know that you filed that suit and a trial date has been set for 2024, what is the state seeking in that lawsuit?
Yost: Simply a judgment that declares they’re a common carrier like a railroad, or the guy that owns the ferry boat across the river, you have to take all comers, and treat them all fairly treat them the same. We’re not looking for damages, we’re just looking for the heightened legal duty that you have to treat everybody the same.
Reporter: Ohio is the first to file such a lawsuit, have you heard from your colleagues in other states that others may join?
Yost: Well this is under state law but I can tell you that people all across the country are watching this lawsuit. It’s the only one like it that’s been filed but most states have a common carrier, common law in the statute so if we win this, I would not be surprised to see other states follow suit.
Reporter: Just a few weeks ago we learned the conviction of George Wagner IV – that was part of the Rhoden family murders. Something that was investigated for years by BCI. Want to know your reaction to that conviction.
Yost: Well, justice was done. And just what a horrible crime. But it illustrates why my office and BCI exist. In Ohio, law enforcement is a local affair. The sheriffs, the prosecutors, the chiefs of police. We don’t have a state police. But when a crime like this happens in a place like Pike County, small county, not a lot of resources, how do you possibly investigate that? Justice shouldn’t be dependent on how much money you have as a government. It shouldn’t matter how many people are there to support the governments. There’s no more important work than bringing murderers to justice. I was so excited to see the jury reach that verdict. And very proud of our team at BCI that did so much to bring this case—crack it and bring these folks to court.
Reporter: Abortion. We know Ohio’s heartbeat law temporarily took effect over the summer. And in that time, we learned that from Columbus Police that a 10 year old traveled across state lines to Indiana to have an abortion. Now prior to learning that from police there had been a local independent report from an Indiana newspaper about that and in that time you appeared on Fox News casting doubt about that case. I’ve asked you this before and now months removed from that, do you now think that you cast doubt too early?
Yost: Well, the doubt was about the news story, not a criminal case that didn’t exist at the time. Look but I understand looking backwards that people heard things that I didn’t say. And were bothered by it. And I deeply regret the pain that people felt when they heard the reports. I am glad that this guy is in the doc. It looks like he is going to be convicted and spend the rest of his life in prison which is where he belongs. But I’ve got nothing in my heart, compassion, and sorrow for what this little girl suffered.
Reporter: There was a lot of criticism about the language of the exceptions in the heart beat law. And you eventually came out with some clarification. Do you think it needs more clarification? Do you think the language needs revision?
Yost: Well I think the General Assembly is considering clarification. They’re the ones that write the law, not the Attorney General. But I will point out to some of the critics of the current language it was imported from the prior law so that’s been the standard since 2011. Abortions have occurred in the last ten years under that standard. After the viability, previous standard kicked in. Bottom line is, from 2011 until this year, doctors seemed to be able to understand what that language meant. And now the same language is in the new law I’m not sure we may be seeing some politics in that. At any rate the General Assembly writes the laws and if they think that it’s appropriate they are going to clarify those things.
Reporter: We saw proposed legislation introduced this week by Senator Marco Rubio….the legislation names social media sites with more than a million users daily that [are based in] countries that are our adversaries Russia and China. Do you have thoughts on banning TikTok? Will Ohio be a state that joins this trend in a state-level ban?
Yost: Well once again the General Assembly writes the laws not the Attorney General. But I’m concerned about what I’m seeing in social media broadly and TikTok specifically. There was this TikTok challenge we had a little boy 12 years old in Cleveland, asphyxiate himself. And it looks like he was responding to that challenge. China itself limits the exposure of its children to TikTok. So I think that it’s important for us to recognize that these powerful new platforms are playing with our brains in ways we haven’t fully thought through. And the research that we’re seeing about children using them and the Facebook files that were a big thing this fall, there’s a lot going on here and our government and policymakers need to think about how we police that marketplace and how we protect our kids.
Reporter: Looking to the future, what are your political aspirations? Will we see you eventually down the road maybe throwing your hat in the ring for governor?
Yost: I just got elected AG and my aspiration is to be the best Attorney General this state’s ever had. I was very gratified in the last election I received more votes than any candidate for attorney general’s ever had. I hope to live up to those expectations.
Reporter: This year as attorney general what will Ohioans see you lead the charge on?
Yost: Robocalls for sure, we’ve got a 50 state task force focused on shutting those down. Scams that go with them. We’re going to continue the fight against human trafficking maybe most importantly we’re going to push to finally finally finally get Ohio to a place police training happens every year it’s funded, it’s required. Other states do this, we don’t. Imagine how good your basketball team would be if they only trained every second or third year. We want to help our police be the best they can possibly be and that’s my number one goal to get through the General Assembly and get Ohio on the road to providing the tools police officers need.
Reporter: Any final thoughts?
Yost: I’m glad 2022 is over. Lets hope 23 is a better year.