Consumer Advocate 

On January 14, 2019, Dave Yost was sworn in as Ohio’s 51st attorney general.  Attorney General Yost brings to the office his extensive experience rooting out fraud, holding the corrupt accountable and reforming government. While serving as prosecuting attorney in Delaware County during a building boom, Yost pursued criminal cases involving contractors who provided shoddy workmanship.

“I promised Ohioans my service as their attorney general would be devoted to protecting our most vulnerable, and ensuring equal application of the law,” said Yost. “I’ve always been angered by people who prey upon consumers. A consumer who is wronged often won’t know where to turn and many don’t have the resources to go hire a lawyer. I love that the attorney general has the ability to do some policing of the marketplace; to hold liars and crooks accountable.”

“A key consideration for the people in my office is: ‘Has there been fraud or deception?’ We don’t have a true and successful free market when we have deception or dishonesty. Actors who deliberately try to deceive consumers are wrecking the free market. The attorney general can make a real difference by holding bad actors accountable under the rule of law.”

Yost earned his undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University and law degree from Capital University. After working as a Columbus Citizen-Journal reporter, he began his public service career as Delaware County’s Auditor and Prosecutor. As Prosecutor, he won the first-ever capital case in Delaware County and took down the largest drug ring in the county’s history.

He became Ohio’s 32nd Auditor of State in January 2011 and spent the next eight years fighting fraud, rooting out corruption, and “skinnying down” government. In two terms, investigations conducted by his office led to 171 convictions of corrupt public officials and uncovered $30 million in stolen and misspent public funds. At the same time, he promoted efficiency by identifying potential savings of $287 million for governments and school districts.

In November 2018, he won statewide election as Attorney General, an office in which he now pursues his mission of protecting Ohio’s citizens while aggressively fighting corruption across the state.
He and his wife, Darlene, make their home in Franklin County. They have three adult children and three grandchildren.