(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General and Governor-elect Mike DeWine today issued the following statement regarding the status of the lawsuit against Anthony Precourt and Major League Soccer (MLS):
“We submitted today’s filing regarding our lawsuit against Anthony Precourt and MLS, at the request of the potential new ownership group, to allow the negotiations for purchasing the Columbus Crew to move forward. Our goal when we originally filed this lawsuit was to ensure Ohio law was followed, proper notice of a potential move was given, and ample opportunity was provided for local investors to purchase the team. I want to congratulate the Haslam and Edwards families, MLS officials, and the Columbus Partnership on their progress toward reaching a deal. Of course, the Crew’s tremendous fans have been an integral part of this process, showing soccer fans across the country that the Crew belongs in Columbus. I look forward to continue following this process as it moves forward.”