Cross settlement will not be made public

FINDLAY — Details of a settlement agreement between former Republican state Rep. Jon Cross, of Findlay, and the Liberty Mutual Personal Insurance Company, based in Boston, will not be made public. The case and a countersuit filed by Cross and his wife, Christina, were dismissed by the U.S. District Court, Toledo, with prejudice on Tuesday, meaning neither party can bring the cases back to court. According to the court record, each party will pay its own attorney fees and costs. On Monday, Cross issued a statement saying both parties have agreed to keep the details of the settlement confidential. He called the case "a private matter involving private citizens." The legal dispute dates to October 2023 and involved an insurance claim filed by the couple after a fire destroyed their Kenton home in August 2023. Their home, located at 16511 Maureen Dr., along with its contents and two vehicles, were destroyed by the fire. In January 2024, the Ohio Fire Marshal's Office ended its investigation of the fire and closed the case without a cause being determined. Liberty Mutual filed the complaint with the district court on Oct. 19, 2023, seeking a declaratory judgment from the court on its partial denial of a claim. A declaratory judgment is a binding judgment from a court defining the legal relationship between parties and their rights in a matter before the court. The complaint centered on about $300,000 in renovations to the Kenton home, started in March 2023, and included in the insurance claim, according to court filings. Both Cross and his wife were named as defendants. In its motion for a summary judgment, filed March 12, the insurance company said it sought court action after Jon Cross threatened to use his political power to win the claims dispute. A summary judgment is a legal ruling made by the court without a trial. Summary judgments are common in civil litigation, when one party argues there is no dispute over the facts of the case. Liberty Mutual also asked the court to dismiss the couple's "bad faith" counterclaim. Cross then notified the court that a settlement had been reached on May 12. Cross, 45, served three terms as representative for the 83rd District in the Ohio House of Representatives, from January 2019 to January 2025. He lost his bid for the Republican nomination for a fourth term to state Rep. Ty Mathews, R-Findlay, in the March 2024 primary. The 83rd District includes Hancock, Hardin and part of Logan counties. In Monday's statement, Cross also challenged the accuracy of "media reports" following the fire, without giving details, and refused further comment. "We chose not to respond while the lawsuit was pending. In the interest of moving forward, we will not be making any further public comment. This has always been a private matter involving private citizens and the total loss of our home. With this lawsuit now resolved, our family is eager to move forward and continue our lives happily in Findlay, Ohio," he said.