A federal judge has denied a request to stop the state of Ohio from moving unclaimed funds that would go toward construction of the new Browns stadium in Brook Park.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A federal judge has denied a request to stop the state of Ohio from moving unclaimed funds into a new state account — clearing the way for hundreds of millions of dollars to help finance the Cleveland Browns’ new domed stadium in Brook Park.
The decision by U.S. District Court Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. came in a case filed in October by attorneys with DannLaw, who brought a class-action lawsuit on behalf of Ohioans whose unclaimed money is currently held in trust by the state.
What the state plans to do
Under the two-year operating budget signed by Gov. Mike DeWine on June 30, Ohio is preparing to transfer $1.7 billion in unclaimed funds that have been dormant at least 10 years.
State officials say about $600 million of that will go toward the Browns stadium project.
What the lawsuit claimed
Plaintiffs argued the plan is unconstitutional, saying unclaimed funds remain private property and shouldn’t be seized or used for a privately owned sports facility.
They asked the court for a preliminary injunction, an emergency order that would have paused the transfer while the lawsuit proceeds.
Sargus denied that request.
Plaintiffs react
Attorneys for the plaintiffs say the ruling allows the state to begin reallocating the funds immediately, even as the larger lawsuit continues.
Attorney Jeff Crossman emphasized the case is not about opposing the Browns or the stadium itself, but about protecting residents’ money.
“Mark Dann and I have always been adamant that we’re not against the Browns,” Crossman told 3News. “We’re not against the stadium construction. We’re just against the way they’re doing it here — stealing, essentially, from everyday folks in Ohio.”
Crossman said the state’s unclaimed-funds system was never meant to operate like this.
“What we have argued all along is this has been set up as essentially a lost and found for people. And now they’re saying, well, after a certain amount of time, too bad you didn’t have notice that your money’s in there—we’re still going to liquidate it and hand it over to a billionaire. That’s the fundamental problem here,” he added.
What’s next
The underlying lawsuit, challenging the constitutionality of the entire funding plan, remains active in federal court. But for now, the judge’s ruling means Ohio can move forward with transferring the unclaimed funds, including the $600 million earmarked for the Browns stadium project.
Ohioans can check whether they have unclaimed funds at unclaimedfunds.ohio.gov.