John Raphael, considered one of the most-powerful lobbyists at Columbus City Hall until he pleaded guilty to extortion and was sent to federal prison in 2016, was hired by the village of Obetz last year just weeks before Columbus officials announced plans to relocate Crew SC's practice facility from Obetz to Mapfre Stadium.

Obetz finalized a no-bid contract with Raphael on Nov. 15, 2018, paying him $10,000 for November and $5,000 a month after that, to represent the village in matters including "business attraction and retention efforts," a contract says. Obetz extended the deal after it recently topped the initial limit of $45,000, said Rod Davisson, the village's administrator.

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The proposal to relocate the Crew's practice facility became public in the first week of December.

Davisson called the timing of the contract "coincidental at best." Raphael wasn't hired to retain the Crew, which is negotiating with Obetz to extend the lease on a practice facility it has used since 1997.

The Crew intends to move from what was once a first-of-its-kind Major League Soccer practice complex into a revamped practice facility and city sports park planned at Mapfre and on part of the Ohio Expo Center & State Fair's property. A new stadium for Crew games is planned to open near the Arena District in 2021.

>> Related story: With land sale pending, city buildings to be razed near new Crew stadium site

Raphael's work involves reopening a closed village railroad crossing and talking with Ohio State University about allowing Obetz to show university sporting events on screens at its sports facilities, Davisson said. The village provided no written invoices or other documentation detailing his lobbying efforts in response to an Ohio Public Records Act request.

"John has reach that I don't with public officials," Davisson said of the decision to hire Raphael. Davisson added that Raphael submits no written invoices or reports detailing his time working as a lobbyist, including with whom he makes contact and when. Instead, Raphael reports to Davisson weekly by telephone or in person.

The Obetz Village Council never approved the contract. Davisson said such approval wasn't needed because the village code authorizes him as administrator to unilaterally award contracts valued at less than $150,000 a year.

Raphael, who once lobbied Columbus officials while representing many major city contractors, served a 15-month federal sentence after pleading guilty to one count of extorting campaign contributions from Redflex, a vendor of red-light cameras. Redflex executives who cooperated with federal prosecutors said the payments to Raphael were bribes intended for elected officials in order to secure business contracts with the city.

No city officials were charged with wrongdoing. Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, who was president of the Columbus City Council at the time, strongly denied any knowledge of the intended bribes.

"The guy did his time," Davisson said of Raphael. "Obetz is a forgiving place."

Raphael did not respond to requests for comment made through Davisson.

"I wouldn't send him to deal (with) Columbus," Davisson said. "I'm, of course, aware of his situation."

The Crew and city have asked the state of Ohio to contribute more than 23 acres now used for parking at the Ohio Expo Center & State Fair to become new practice fields for the Crew and public playing fields for city residents.

Mike Curtin, who co-chairs a panel appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine to reexamine land uses at the fairgrounds and offer recommendations, said Raphael called him to arrange an Aug. 15 tour of the expansive Obetz sporting grounds, including Fortress Obetz, a stadium built for a now-defunct professional lacrosse team near the Crew practice facility. That tour happened the day before Curtin's task force met for the first time.

"My impression is that Obetz is aware that the Crew is leaving, and their intent is to figure out how to work with the community to attract more events to help make up for the departure of the Crew," said Curtin, a former Dispatch editor and company executive.

Tony Bledsoe, Ohio's legislative inspector general who oversees the state's lobbyist registry, said Raphael is banned for life from lobbying state agencies or lawmakers on policy issues because of his felony public-corruption conviction. The law doesn't prohibit him from lobbying state universities or task forces that solely make recommendations, such as the one looking into the future of the state fairgrounds, Bledsoe said.

Raphael isn't on the Columbus registry of lobbyists, which means he can't legally lobby city officials.

Asked if any city official had been contacted by Raphael on behalf of Obetz since his hiring in November, Ginther spokeswoman Robin Davis said the mayor’s office has had no contact with Raphael. The city's development department, which has been involved in negotiations involving the new stadium and practice-facility project, "hasn’t had any contact from Mr. Raphael for years," said Development Director Steve Schoeny.

None of the seven members of the city council has been contacted by Raphael, said Lee Cole, spokeswoman for the council.

Unlike at the state level, Raphael isn't permanently banned from lobbying Columbus officials if he were to re-register, said Meredith Tucker, spokeswoman for the city attorney's office.

Asked about any lobbying on behalf of Obetz, Ohio State is "not aware that anyone has heard from or spoke with John Raphael," said university spokesman Ben Johnson.

Although the Obetz council's approval wasn't needed, Davisson said the six council members are aware of Raphael's employment and support it.

"They all said that guy deserves a second chance," Davisson said. Obetz Mayor D. Greg Scott did not return a telephone call left with his office.

"If I can use him to help somewhere in the Crew (negotiations), I certainly will," Davisson said of Raphael. "I mean, he knows some of those guys as well."

Asked how, without a competitive process, he could say that Obetz taxpayers are getting a fair price for Raphael's representation, Davisson said: "You don't hire consultants based on the best price."

bbush@dispatch.com

@ReporterBush