As usual, one of the two parties is picking on the smaller Libertarian Party in Ohio but this time it cost. A new post at Ballot Access News by Richard Winger had the story:

The Ohio Libertarian Party engaged in a long court battle, in federal court, with attorneys for the Ohio Republican Party and the Governor John Kasich re-election campaign during 2014. The issue was whether the Libertarian Party’s gubernatorial candidate should appear on the Libertarian Party primary ballot and thereby gain a place on the general election ballot. The Libertarian did not prevail on the ballot access issue.

However, the attorneys for the Libertarian candidate and the Libertarian Party did receive $42,500 in attorneys’ fees, which were awarded on May 1, 2017. This is because they did prevail on the issue of whether the party should be considered a qualified party during 2014, and on the issue of the out-of-state ban for petitioners. Those parts of the case had been won in late 2013 and early 2014.

In addition, on June 12, the federal court also awarded sanctions of $1,500 to the attorneys for the Libertarian Party, against the attorneys for the Republican Party. This is because the court determined that the Republican attorneys had filed subpoenas against the Libertarian Party attorneys that were not designed for a legitimate purpose, but “to badger or intimidate” the Libertarian Party attorneys.

An article in the Miami Herald had more:

A federal judge sanctioned an Ohio law firm on Tuesday for conduct during a long-running legal fight alleging efforts by Republicans to help Gov. John Kasich’s chances in the 2014 election. In a sharply worded opinion, U.S. District Magistrate Judge Terence Kemp ordered Zeiger, Tigges & Little to pay $1,500 in connection with two subpoenas the firm served on lawyers for the Libertarian Party of Ohio in a lawsuit the party lost last year.

The money would cover Libertarians’ legal costs in fighting the subpoenas. A message was left seeking comment from the firm, which has 14 days to appeal. Kemp said he had never seen such an extreme step as subpoenas taken on an “otherwise routine” matter in his 30 years on the bench.

Also, see this story by the Lantern with the latest:

The newest member of the Ohio State Board of trustees received a slap on the wrist for his role in a controversial case involving Gov. John Kasich’s gubernatorial election in 2014. Zeiger and his firm, Zeiger, Tigges & Little, were sanctioned and fined $1,500 Tuesday for their connection and conduct when serving two subpoenas to the Libertarian party lawyers representing Charlie Earl, a 2014 Libertarian candidate. The fine will cover the legal costs associated with fighting the subpoenas.

Zeiger, who was appointed to the Board last month by Kasich, represented a defendant, Gregory Felsoci, a former Ohio Elections Chief, who was brought to court by the Ohio Libertarian Party. The $1,500 fine imposed stems from a case in which the Libertarian Party unsuccessfully brought a lawsuit to Felsoci in 2014, claiming that he was selectively enforcing election laws in an attempt to get Earl off the ballot.

Also, from 2004: