Author

Marty Schladen has been a reporter for decades, working in Indiana, Texas and other places before returning to his native Ohio to work at The Columbus Dispatch in 2017. He's won state and national journalism awards for investigations into utility regulation, public corruption, the environment, prescription drug spending and other matters.
Inspectors find more serious problems at Ohio CVS pharmacies
By: Marty Schladen - August 25, 2023
From a lack of control over narcotics to expired drugs on the shelves, inspectors at the Ohio Board of Pharmacy have found more problems at what appear to be chronically understaffed CVS pharmacies. The new inspection reports from four Ohio pharmacies are in addition to reports finding similar problems at nine others that the Capital […]
Report: CEOs who pay poorly do fabulously
By: Marty Schladen - August 24, 2023
Ticketmaster isn’t just crappy to its customers and to the musicians for whose shows it manages ticket sales. As a dominant event middleman, it tacks on hefty fees and has the effrontery to call them “convenience charges.” And bands complain that by the time parent company Live Nation Entertainment deducts its many cuts for their […]
In many ways, Ohio Sec. of State LaRose’s troubles are symbolic of his party’s, experts say
By: Marty Schladen - August 18, 2023
It used to be a cliche in American politics that Democrats fall in love, while Republicans fall in line. It now might be hard to find somebody Democrats are universally in love with. But under Donald Trump, the Republican imperative to fall in line is stronger than ever — even if it means taking positions […]
Ohio Board of Pharmacy proposes sweeping new regs to deal with understaffing
By: Marty Schladen - August 15, 2023
In response to reports that workers in understaffed Ohio pharmacies can’t do their jobs in a way that protects patients, the state Board of Pharmacy has proposed new rules. They seem to be particularly aimed at large chain pharmacies such as CVS, Walgreens and Kroger, where workers report problems at much higher rates than their […]
Multiple signs that federal corruption investigation might be heating up — again
By: Marty Schladen - August 14, 2023
After two former Republican officials in June were sentenced for their roles in a massive racketeering conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker said the investigation was continuing. At least two signs emerged last week that the proceedings might be intensifying. Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison on June […]
Frank LaRose’s very bad day. Sec. of State dodged press, issued angry statement as Issue 1 failed
By: Marty Schladen - August 11, 2023
It’s unclear whether, going into Tuesday, Frank LaRose anticipated that the measure he was championing was going to fail — even though related issues have gotten trounced in state after state after state. But by Election Day, early voting had been torrid for weeks — especially in big cities where people were likely to vote […]
Drug middlemen say Ohio law raises prices. Then they admit they don’t know
By: Marty Schladen - August 8, 2023
An industry organization representing powerful drug middlemen said that banning an industry practice would lead to “higher costs and fewer choices for America’s employers.” But to support it, the organization points to analysis that didn’t look at private insurance and didn’t reach the conclusion that it claimed. The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association represents pharmacy benefit […]
Money paid, favors done. Messages detail relationship between Ohio regulator and energy executives
By: Marty Schladen - August 8, 2023
In early 2019, news of financial ties between Akron-based FirstEnergy and the man incoming-Gov. Mike DeWine had named to lead the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio began to spread. And as it did, FirstEnergy’s top executives feared they wouldn’t have a regulator they could control, according to documents filed in federal court late last week. […]
LaRose says “no reasonable person” is talking about banning contraceptives. But his allies are
By: Marty Schladen - August 7, 2023
As they push to make it a lot harder for voters to amend the Ohio Constitution, Frank LaRose and Mike Gonidakis say that no “reasonable person” is considering a ban on contraceptives. That’s false — unless they believe U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and a Republican member of the Ohio legislature aren’t reasonable people. […]
Analysis: Growing number of Issue 1 boosters connected to election denial
By: Marty Schladen - August 4, 2023
Critics of Issue 1 have long said it’s an anti-democratic measure because it saps voters’ power over the Ohio Constitution compared to that of the state’s highly gerrymandered legislature. They say it would make it all but impossible to force an unrepresentative state government to enact policies supported by majorities of Ohioans. Seeming to bolster […]
Problems at understaffed CVS pharmacies are said to be widespread. The Ohio AG is taking a look
By: Marty Schladen - August 3, 2023
In the wake of news about Ohio regulators’ findings at severely understaffed CVS pharmacies, numerous current and recent CVS workers in Ohio and elsewhere have said the problems are not limited to the nine stores the Ohio Board of Pharmacy has issued reports on. Meanwhile, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost called the findings in the […]
LaRose says he doesn’t remember conversations with players in Ohio racketeering scandal
By: Marty Schladen - July 27, 2023
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose says a constitutional amendment he’s pushing would prevent aspects of the largest bribery and money laundering scandal in state history. But on Tuesday, he said he didn’t recall conversations with some of the conspiracy’s central figures when it reached a fever pitch in 2019. He also hasn’t produced any […]