Legal expenses continue to rise as trial date approaches
- Dean Dennis
- 5 days ago
- 1 min read
Last week, ORTA released a statement requesting donations from members. We shared that legal bills incurred fighting the case, which involved the improper removal of Wade Steen and the “anonymous” letter sent by STRS staff to the Attorney General, have resulted in roughly $260,000 in legal expenses. Of these expenses, member donations have covered approximately $120,000.
Legal expenses continue to grow, and attacks on our pension continue. The trial for Wade Steen and Rudy Fichtenbaum is scheduled for October 2025. Additionally, we need to address the Midnight Massacre, which is an attempt by a handful of misguided legislators to reconfigure the representation of our pension board.
ORTA is currently approximately $140,000 in the red.
A huge thank you to all the members who helped us raise nearly $9,000 last week!
ORTA is looking for 1,000 members who can contribute $10 per month to the Pension Defense Fund. Last week, 65 members signed up to help us meet this goal.
Thank you, and click below if you can help.
Dean Dennis, Chair ORTA Executive Council

