Denise D’Angelo says government decisions should be made “in the light of day.”

As a South-Western City Schools board member, D’Angelo voted in 2024 to give attorney Omar Tarazi a $9,000-a-month contract one week after he publicly touted the value of helping school boards through privileged advice “without necessarily being in the public sphere.”

By then, Tarazi had already billed the district $78,016.18 for legal work. Another $39,130 in superintendent-search expenses had been invoiced through him on behalf of K-12 Business Consulting.

D’Angelo, now the Republican candidate for Ohio House District 10, has made government transparency part of her Statehouse campaign.

Under a section titled “State Transparency,” D’Angelo promises to bring a “mom’s eye” to the state budget and demand that “every dollar spent is visible and every legislative decision is made in the light of day.”

Tarazi touted advice outside ‘the public sphere’

Tarazi made his comments July 15, 2024, while seeking legal work from another Ohio school district.

During a presentation to the Big Walnut Local Schools Board of Education, Tarazi explained what he considered one of the principal benefits of having an attorney work directly with a school board.

“The main value that lawyers provide is being able to give attorney-client privileged, clear advice,” Tarazi said, according to NBC4 reporting, adding that counsel could “really help guide a board without necessarily being in the public sphere.”

Tarazi also told Big Walnut board members they could contact him “day or night” for independent, confidential guidance.

Seven days later, South-Western’s board held a special meeting to vote on a formal contract with Tarazi.

D’Angelo joined board members Chris Boso and Julie Liskany in approving the agreement. Camille Peterson voted no. Kelli Martindale was absent.

The contract paid Tarazi a flat $9,000 per month for routine services from July 22 through the end of 2024, with an option for a one-year renewal. It also allowed him to bill $300 per hour for non-routine work.

The Westside Messenger reported that Peterson cited her “lack of involvement in a board decision to solicit the legal services of Tarazi” as one reason she opposed the contract.

Peterson also questioned the cost.

“I do question if we are honestly being financially responsible with the district and taxpayers’ funds when we are voting on a contract for this purpose or expense,” she said.

Tarazi’s relationship with South-Western did not begin with the $9,000 monthly contract.

Before the July 22 vote, NBC4 reported three periods of legal billing from Tarazi:

  • $23,823 from Jan. 22 through March 1;

  • $22,932 from March 2 through March 25; and

  • $31,261.18 from March 26 through July 3.

Combined, Tarazi billed $78,016.18 for legal work before receiving the monthly contract.

The descriptions of Tarazi’s work on itemized invoices released to NBC4 were completely redacted. Tarazi cited attorney-client privilege when declining to describe the legal services he provided.

The money flowing through Tarazi’s invoices went beyond his own legal work.

NBC4 reported that South-Western also received two superintendent-search charges through Tarazi: $22,980 on March 26 and $16,150 on May 24.

Those charges totaled $39,130 and were invoiced through Tarazi on behalf of K-12 Business Consulting, the company conducting the district’s superintendent search.

Combined with Tarazi’s legal billing, more than $117,000 in charges had been associated with his invoices before D’Angelo and two other board members approved his $9,000 monthly contract.

D’Angelo now campaigns on transparency

Two years later, D’Angelo is running for the Ohio House with transparency as part of her campaign platform.

Her pledge that “every dollar spent is visible” comes after her vote to formalize Tarazi’s contract following more than $78,000 in legal bills whose descriptions were redacted when released by the district.

Her pledge that government decisions be made “in the light of day” also comes after she voted for Tarazi’s contract seven days after he publicly described the ability to provide privileged guidance outside the public sphere as a benefit of school-board counsel.

Franklin County election records show D’Angelo is challenging Democratic state Rep. Mark Sigrist in Ohio House District 10 this November.