Athens County’s new treasurer, Taylor Sappington, has chosen not to reinvest the $300,000 Israel bond of county funds that came due October 1. In a memo (attached) to Athens County Commissioners, he explained: “On October first, $300,000 in our tax dollars matured from an Israel Foreign Government Bond alongside a domestic government debt maturity of nearly $1,000,000. I directed our investment firm to reinvest these dollars as close to home as possible, defined as investing in our region or state if rates and the market would allow for it. But beyond the geography, the decision was backed by the recommendations and advice of Meeder [Investment Management] who see the bonds’ downgrades and negative financial outlook as risky for public entities at the moment.”

Sappington’s letter continues, “It is important that I communicate to you directly that the decision was made without political considerations and focused solely on the yield offered to the taxpayer dollars we manage, the liquidity concerns of foreign government bonds (which are locked and cannot be redeemed [early] for any reason), and the negative outlook/downgrade of the investment at hand. Both sides of the issue reached out to my office, and I listened attentively and gave them the time they deserve as constituents of ours. I am grateful that both of them gave me the opportunity to learn from them. But in the end, statute requires that politics have nothing to do with investment decisions as long as I am Treasurer, and I intend to keep to that.”

In response to a query from a community member, Sappington also wrote, “The funds are currently sitting in a high interest money market account while we seek out investments closer to home that help our region/state while earning the citizens of Athens County a competitive rate. That search is ongoing…”

Athens County is the eighth Ohio county to divest from Israel in the past two years. A total of $13 million has been successfully withdrawn from Israel Bonds by Summit, Cuyahoga, Franklin, Lucas, Richland, Coshocton, Medina, and now Athens counties. Athens County still has $700,000 invested in Israel Bonds. The next one to mature (for $200k) will be in 2027.

The local Palestinian solidarity movement, including OU Students for Justice in Palestine, OU Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace - SE Ohio, and other community members are celebrating the launch of Athens County’s divestment, but their work is far from over. Ohio also has $262,500,000 of state funds invested in Israel bonds. Including county funds, Ohio has invested a total of $330 million of taxpayer money in Israel Bonds. Ohio Treasurer Sprague also serves as Chair of Israel Bonds’s Industry and Financial Services Leadership group, which lobbies for Israel Bonds.

Last week, the Ohio No New Bonds Coalition, on which Athens community members serve,  submitted a legal brief to Treasurer Sprague demanding immediate and permanent divestment from Israel bonds. The brief (published by Columbus Free Press, 10-9-25), argues,“Your recurring acts of investing Ohio taxpayer funds in Israel Bonds are acts of criminal lawbreaking. You have made Ohio’s taxpayers accomplices with the governments of Israel and the United States in committing genocide, war crimes and human rights violations upon Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank. Israel’s repayments of Israel Bonds come from revenues garnered from Israeli’s lawbreaking settlements. Your knowing acceptance of these repayments suggests that you may be assisting the commission of felony money laundering.” An Ohio $15,000,000 Israel Bond will mature Nov. 1.

Eden Truax, An Ohio University student active in Ohio University’s Students for Justice in Palestine and Ohio’s No New Bonds coalition, stated,“It’s great to see county treasurers across the state, including Taylor Sappington, making the morally and fiscally responsible choice of investing closer to home. We have a long road ahead to redirect state treasury investments out of Israel bonds, but these county divestments are a great start to move the state toward investing in our communities.” 

--------------------------

Other resources on Israel Bonds and Ohio counties’ divestment:

omranistan.substack.com/p/mahoning-county-chooses-not-to-reinvest

acrecampaigns.org/research_post/downgraded-by-war/