Retirees Association

WOSU: Ohio AG files suit to remove two State Teachers Retirement System board members

Rudy Fichtenbaum

Excerpt from the WOSU website

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has filed suit to remove two State Teachers Retirement System board members for breaching their fiduciary duties.

The suit filed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday claims that board members Wade Steen and Dr. Rudy Fichtenbaum are seeking to steer as much as 70% of STRS' current assets — about $65 billion in teacher pension funds — to a shell company with backdoor ties to the pair.

"Upon information and belief, the owner of this shell company continues to peddle to STRS a secretive and untested investment scheme while his own condominium is in foreclosure," the suit said.

STRS oversees $91 billion on behalf of 500,000 members including 150,000 retirees and beneficiaries.

The 11-member STRS board is scheduled to meet Wednesday afternoon.

A week ago, Yost's office said it had opened an investigation into concerns that STRS was susceptible to a hostile takeover by private interests.