COLUMBUS -- "The next time a casino operator or any other special interest shells out big bucks for a campaign, Sen. Jon Husted wants to make sure voters know who's getting the money.
The Kettering Republican introduced a bill yesterday that would require campaign payments to so-called subvendors or third parties to be disclosed so voters would know who was getting paid, and how much, to promote or work against a ballot issue.... Ohio law requires campaigns to report money they spend to hire primary consultants and vendors, but it does not require disclosing the names of, or amounts paid to, subvendors or third-party consultants hired by the primary consultants," Joe Hallett, The Columbus Dispatch.
COLUMBUS -- "Last week, this column mentioned that state lawmakers, who are paid a little more than $60,000 a year plus up to $5,000 to 7,000 for committee assignments, are afforded a lucrative federal income tax write-off.... According to the Legislative Inspector General Office's Web site, lobbyists and their employers reported spending about $471,000 on the legislature from January through Aug. 9 or about $3,600 for each of the 132 state lawmakers.... This federal income tax deduction is not new, but questions are being raised about legislative perks these days for several reasons," Dayton Daily News. Posted Dec 13. Dec 14: Joe Hallett commentary: Campaign-finance reports leave some questions unanswered
COLUMBUS -- "[Their] names legally do not have to appear in the casino operators' campaign finance reports. Unlike Michigan, Indiana, West Virginia and 21 other states, there is no requirement in Ohio law that a campaign committee disclose the names of subcontractors hired by primary consultants.... Husted soon will introduce legislation to require campaigns to disclose the identities and amounts paid to so-called sub-vendors.
'We need more transparency in the process,' Husted said. 'If you're advocating for a particular position, the way in which voters perceive your advocacy might change if they knew you were being paid to do it,'" The Columbus Dispatch. Posted Dec 13. Dec 11: Campaign finance reports now on Cuyahoga Board of Elections' Web site
CLEVELAND -- "The head of a good-government group praised the board's move to the Internet -- which is not required by law.
With a number of county officials under federal investigation, accountability has never been more important, said Catherine Turcer, legislative director of Ohio Citizen Action.
'It allows voters to see who is supporting candidates and issues before the elections,' she said. 'You can connect the money with the possible influence it has.'
She added, 'You need a system that is open and transparent. It's nice to know that ordinary citizens can look at these reports anytime they want,'" Ellen Kleinerman, Cleveland Plain Dealer. Dec 3: Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason, Issue 6 backers, prepare to address campaign finance
CLEVELAND -- "The architects of Cuyahoga County's new government charter are about to tackle the sticky issue of campaign finance reform, keeping a promise made to voters before the November election.
Backers of the successful charter measure, which appeared on the ballot as Issue 6, met twice last month and are forming a panel to deal with campaign finance, a code of ethics and transitioning from three commissioners to an elected executive and 11-member council.... Workers contributing to the campaigns of officeholders is both legal and common in Cuyahoga County, but advocates of good government say the practice can lead to patronage," Laura Johnston, Cleveland Plain Dealer. Nov 4: ‘Lobbyists terminating their federal registrations at accelerated rate
WASHINGTON DC -- "Lobbyists this year began terminating their formal registrations with the federal government at significantly higher levels than usual, a joint study by OMB Watch and the Center for Responsive Politics has found.The OMB Watch-CRP study found 1,418 'deregistrations' of federally registered lobbyists during the second quarter of 2009, a marked increase for any reporting period during all of 2008 and 2009. This occurred shortly after President Barack Obama issued Executive Order 13490, which created new restrictions on former lobbyists appointed to the executive branch. Guidance was then issued in March, which marks the start of the 2nd quarter reporting, that enacted a gift ban and further restricted the kind of communications lobbyists could have about stimulus and TARP funds. Via a recent blog post, the White House also announced, 'it is our aspiration that federally registered lobbyists not be appointed to agency advisory boards and commissions,' a practice that is common today," Dave Levinthal, OpenSecrets.org. Nov 2: Lobbying disclosure forms don't tell full story
CUYAHOGA COUNTY-- "The debate over how to best overhaul Cuyahoga County government has thrust campaign finances into the spotlight, an issue long ignored by county elected officials but one that could have a huge impact on reforming politics.... Catherine Turcer of the watchdog group Ohio Citizen Action said that among the first campaign reform proposals backers of Issue 5 and Issue 6 should consider is forcing politicians to submit reports in electronic form.
'If the press and the public have access to the reports in a searchable manner, it will allow us to track patterns,' Turcer said. 'Campaign finance is a lot like connecting the dots,'" Mark Naymik, Cleveland Plain Dealer. Posted Oct 31. Oct 30: Panel to settle issue of Brunner's office gear
COLUMBUS
-- "If it pays $15,000, Jennifer Brunner's campaign for the U.S. Senate apparently will be allowed to keep office equipment paid for by her state campaign.
The question is: Who gets the $15,000 - three charities or her husband's law firm?... But Catherine Turcer, who heads the Money in Politics project for Ohio Citizen Action, noted that the outcome doesn't really address the fundamental question of whether Brunner should have used the state campaign funds the way she did," Mark Niquette and Joe hallett, The Columbus Dispatch. Oct 28: What to do with extra PAC money?
Jim McCrery bequeathed a PAC to a home-state colleague.
WASHINGTON, DC
-- "Something wasn’t sitting right with former Rep. Jim McCrery after he finished a telephone interview on the donations made to former colleagues while he sits out a mandatory yearlong ban on lobbying them directly.
Sure, he had kept his campaign committee open for business — which he insists help his firm, Capitol Counsel — but he spent most of his leadership political action committee's money before he left and turned over the reins to fellow Louisiana Republican Charles Boustany.
He wanted that known. He dialed back.
'I just wanted to get a little bit of credit for doing something the right way,' he said. 'Rather than take it with me and dole it out as see fit, I thought it best to turn it over to a sitting member of Congress.' McCrery's perspective raises a question with no easy answer: What do you do with a leadership PAC when you're no longer in office?," Jonathan Allen, Politico. Oct 27: Lobbying disclosure forms don't tell full story
NEW YORK, NY
-- "Coal's big lobbying group this August sent workers to 264 cities to attend state fairs, visit Kiwanis meetings and set up tables at college campuses, all part of a campaign aimed at powering advocacy for the fuel. That activity in eight states led to media coverage, a plus for the group, the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, or ACCCE...
But none of the money ACCCE spent on that August effort is reflected in the lobbying report it filed with Congress, detailing spending in July, August and September. The report also fails to capture what ACCCE spent on television advertisements featuring 'real people' talking about the importance of coal as a source of low-cost electricity in their lives," Anne Mulkern, New York Times. Oct 24: Party's cash plentiful for council's Democrats
COLUMBUS -- "Just one out of every four dollars spent so far to keep incumbent Democrats on the Columbus City Council has come from the candidates' own campaigns.
For the second consecutive election, big donations from city contractors and developers have been funneled through the party machinery to pay for staff, polling, advertising and other campaign expenses... Catherine Turcer, who heads the Money in Politics project for Ohio Citizen Action, said the strategy helps transfer the power of Democrats' incumbency to candidates who aren't well-known. Miller and Paley were appointed to fill council vacancies in January; Tyson was appointed and elected to an unexpired term in 2007.
Democrats hold all seven council seats, including the four not up for election this year," Robert Vitale, Columbus Dispatch. Oct 20: In political campaigns, money does a whole lot of talking
COLUMBUS -- "Here's one sector of the economy where the boom times never seem to end, at least for certain lucky individuals: campaign fundraising.
If you are an incumbent or a candidate viewed by the party establishment as the heir apparent for a primary nomination, just watch the big bucks flow in.
Midnight Thursday was the deadline for congressional candidates to file quarterly campaign-finance reports with the Federal Election Commission.
True, the 2010 primaries are months away, and we are still more than a year away from the general election. But in the eyes of the political world -- from reporters and pundits to party leaders and big givers -- how much a candidate raises now is a big sign of whether he or she has any chance later," Jonathan Riskind, Columbus Dispatch. Oct 13: Prosecutor Bill Mason pledges to reform campaign finance and return campaign contributions from employees
CUYAHOGA COUNTY -- "Prosecutor Bill Mason has pledged to create a panel to address campaign finance reform in Cuyahoga County if Issue 6 passes in November.
Mason, who helped craft the Issue 6 plan that would overhaul county government, said in a letter Saturday that he'll ask supporters of the competing Issue 5 to participate on the panel so an initiative can be placed on a future ballot.
He also pledged to return tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions he received from his employees," John Caniglia, Cleveland Plain dealer. Oct 12: Letter to the Editor: Money's role in county politics
COLUMBUS -- "The Plain Dealer’s October 6 editorial highlights the possibility of county level campaign finance reform. After the election this fall is sorted out, it will be time to turn our attention to the role of money in politics in Cuyahoga County government. Here are some campaign finance facts that voters in Cuyahoga County may not be aware of: 1) there are no limits on campaign contributions to candidates for county level office, 2) employees are permitted to contribute to their bosses, reinforcing patronage, 3) “pay-to-play” limits only effect those with unbid contracts and are hard to enforce, and 4) campaign contribution information for candidates for county office and public officials are not available online, which is the very definition of transparency in this day and age. On top of these inadequacies, Cuyahoga County has no disclosure requirements for those lobbying county officials so that we do not have a clear picture of who is attempting to impact county policies or contracting. If Issue 6 passes, it should be the first priority of voters and this new charter government to get at the roots of corruption by creating reasonable contribution limits and a much more open and transparent system," Catherine Turcer, Ohio Citizen Action. Oct 8: Issue 5 supporters want Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason to return employee contributions
CUYAHOGA COUNTY -- "Backers of the Issue 5 Cuyahoga County reform initiative have challenged county Prosecutor Bill Mason to return more than $100,000 in campaign contributions made by his employees and their families since 2006.... Catherine Turcer of Ohio Citizen Action's Money In Politics project said that while it would be a dramatic gesture for Mason to give the money back, the focus should be on reforming the system and ending patronage in Cuyahoga County.
'And this starts with establishing prohibitions on employees making contributions to their boss,' Turcer said. 'It makes sense to establish legislation that does this,'" Mark Gillispie, Cleveland Plain Dealer. Oct 5: Campaign finance left out of Issue 6 or proposal Issue 6 has no provision restricting donations
COLUMBUS -- "Commissioner Dimora and Auditor Russo handed out jobs and contracts to appreciative supporters - and collected wads of campaign cash to help keep themselves and political allies in control.
So good-government experts wonder why a Cuyahoga County charter proposal, on the Nov. 3 ballot as Issue 6 and touted as a way to reform a corrupt system, is mum on campaign finance reforms. 'They are missing an enormous elephant in the room,' said Catherine Turcer, legislative director for Ohio Citizen Action, an agency crusading for campaign finance reform. 'I understand the throw-the-bums-out thinking. But if we act as if money is not part of the problem, we're never going to get to the root of the situation,'" Joseph L. Wagner, Cleveland Plain dealer. Sep 23: Editorial: The rights of corporations
WASHINGTON DC -- "The question at the heart of one of the biggest Supreme Court cases this year is simple: What constitutional rights should corporations have? To us, as well as many legal scholars, former justices and, indeed, drafters of the Constitution, the answer is that their rights should be quite limited — far less than those of people.... This Supreme Court, the John Roberts court, seems to be having trouble with that. It has been on a campaign to increase corporations’ legal rights — based on the conviction of some conservative justices that businesses are, at least legally, not much different than people.
Now the court is considering what should be a fairly narrow campaign finance case, involving whether Citizens United, a nonprofit corporation, had the right to air a slashing movie about Hillary Rodham Clinton during the Democratic primary season. There is a real danger that the case will expand corporations’ rights in ways that would undermine the election system," The New York Times. Aug 21: Blog: Health interests, lobbyists rank high among industries increasing campaign contributions
WASHINGTON DC -- "Political action committees and individuals associated with these influential industries, each of which are intimately involved in the nation's ongoing health care reform debate, are donating more to federal candidates during the second quarter of 2009 than the first quarter, according to a Center for Responsive Politics analysis.... The health services/HMO industry, for example, donated 37 percent more between April and June than it did between January and March. That represents more than $284,000 in donations in the second quarter than the first -- $1.52 million to $1.78 million.
Hospitals and nursing homes: a 17 percent increase. Health professionals and lobbyists each, for their parts, contributed 7 percent more between the two periods," Dave Levinthal, OpenSecrets.org. Aug 18: Op Ed: A century-old principle: keep corporate money out of elections
NEW YORK -- "The founders were wary of corporate influence on politics — and their rhetoric sometimes got pretty heated. In an 1816 letter, Thomas Jefferson declared his hope to 'crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country.'
This skepticism was enshrined in law in the early 20th century when the nation adopted strict rules banning corporations from contributing to political campaigns. Today that ban is in danger from the Supreme Court, which hears arguments next month in a little-noticed case that could open the floodgates to corporate money in politics.
The court has gone to extraordinary lengths to hear the case. And there are worrying signs that there may well be five votes to rule that the ban on corporate contributions violates the First Amendment," Adam Cohen, New York Times. Aug 18: Campaign finance hearing expanded
WASHINGTON DC -- "The Supreme Court agreed on Monday to expand its Sept. 9 argument on constitutional issues affecting corporations’ spending on federal election campaigns, adding 20 minutes to the schedule to allow lawyers for members of Congress to take part. The argument in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (08-205) will now run for a scheduled 80 minutes. The action was taken as the Court issued its second round of summer orders, during its recess; Monday’s orders can be foundhere," Lyle Denniston, Supreme Court of United States Blog. Aug 12: Electoral competition and low contribution limits
NEW YORK, NY -- "Electoral competition is essential to democracy. Yet the incumbency rate in state-house legislative campaigns is nearly 95 percent. This report examines campaign contribution limits and the impact limits can have on electoral competition.
The research on which this report is based was inspired by a 2006 U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned low contribution limits. The data presented here refutes the Court’s assumptions that low contribution limits damage challengers and shows that the lowest contribution limits, those set at $500 or below, enhance challengers’ ability to campaign against incumbents in state legislative races," Ciara Torres-Spelliscy," Kahlil Williams and Dr. Thomas Stratmann, Brennan Center for Justice. Aug 7: John Fortney hosts a discussion on campaign finance in Ohio
John Fortney of Ohio News Network hosted a conversation about money in politics on August 2. The group discussed the campaign finance filings, fundraising during the budget process and the need to connect the dots. “There is already some indication that Kevin Boyce has been courting those interests pretty heavily. I assume that is something that you folks will look at,” said Alan Johnson of the Columbus Dispatch. “That is actually kind of interesting. You know, they have just made these changes at the Treasurer’s office," responded the Director of the Money in Politics Project Catherine Turcer. “For the first time they have a contract for someone else to write the checks and in this case the someone else is KeyBank and they’re doing a fundraiser for him at the end of the month.” Almost in unison Johnson and Turcer said, “How convenient.”
COLUMBUS -- "At a time when nearly every state-funded service is threatened by a worsening budget crisis, Ohio's influential nursing-home industry appeared to have successfully lobbied for an additional $1.2 billion in state and federal aid over the next four years.
Amendments dropped quietly into the budget bill by Republican leaders in the Ohio Senate would boost the rate nursing homes are reimbursed for each Medicaid patient from $164 a day to about $196 a day by 2013, an increase of 19 percent.
Further, nursing-home owners persuaded GOP lawmakers to insert into Ohio law an annual rate increase beginning in 2013 -- a guarantee enjoyed by no other provider of Medicaid, the tax-funded health-care program for the poor and disabled," Catherine Candinsky and Alan Johnson, The Columbus Dispatch. Jun 12: Brunner requests blessing of deal Senate campaign's use of equipment bought by state campaign is at issue
COLUMBUS -- "Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner is asking the Federal Election Commission to determine the legality of a secret agreement designed to allow her U.S. Senate campaign to use equipment bought by her now-defunct state campaign.... Catherine Turcer of Ohio Citizen Action, a nonpartisan government watchdog, said the arrangement between Brunner's state and Senate campaigns may turn out to be legal but doesn't pass what she called 'the giggle test.'... 'It is so disheartening to have the chief elections official attempt to find a way to avoid election law,' she said," Joe Hallett and Mark Niquette, The Columbus Dispatch. Jun 1: Editorial: Unhealthy treatment Putting squeeze on Ohio hospitals while coddling nursing homes is wrong
COLUMBUS -- "Under the governor's budget, nursing homes also would have been dunned for $285 million in increased fees to help draw down federal matching funds for Medicaid. But in the budget plan adopted by the Ohio House, nursing homes were held harmless.
This was no surprise, because the nursing-home lobby long has held sway over the legislature. House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, has received $62,000 in campaign contributions from nursing-home political committees and executives in the recent two-year election cycle. Last year, the industry gave about $380,000 to state lawmakers.
This largess is to preserve the gravy train for nursing homes,'" The Columbus Dispatch. May 28: Bond trader must pay record fine
COLUMBUS -- "The Ohio Elections Commission on Thursday May 28 imposed a record $125,000 in fines against bond trader Montford Will, his wife and two step-children for illegally funneling $121,000 in campaign contributions to Republicans and Democrats across the state but did not refer the case for prosecution.
The fines are more than twice the amount recommended by Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien and Will’s attorney, Ritchey Hollenbaugh.
Hollenbaugh said the $125,000 in fines were not reasonable, given the circumstances, but that the financial penalty was still preferable over criminal prosecution," Laura Bischoff, Dayton Daily News.
COLUMBUS -- "Fueled by the scandal that drove former Attorney General Marc Dann from office, the Ohio House cast a rare unanimous vote yesterday to rein in the unregulated use of transition accounts by statewide officeholders.
After completing an investigation into Dann in December, Ohio Inspector General Thomas P. Charles urged legislators to do something to either regulate or eliminate transition accounts, which can accept unlimited and unreported donations from corporations, political action committees and others.
Yesterday, the House responded by passing House Bill 5, which would limit how much contributors can donate to the funds: $10,000 for the governor-elect and $2,500 for any other elected official. Contributions also would have to be disclosed to the secretary of state's offic," Jim Siegel, The Columbus Dispatch. May 26: Cuyahoga County Sheriff Gerald McFaul's contracts studied for links to campaign donations
CUYAHOGA COUNTY -- "State officials are investigating $34 million worth of contracts handed out by the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office since 2004 and whether vendors had to contribute to former Sheriff Gerald McFaul's campaign fund to get them, according to interviews and a subpoena obtained by The Plain Dealer. Catherine Turcer of the watchdog group Ohio Citizen Action said pay-to-play politics goes on throughout the state but is difficult to investigate.
Investigators will have to determine if the donations were given as a genuine expression of political support or as a bribe, she said," Mark Puente, Cleveland Plain Dealer. Posted May 25. May 26: Democrats not shy about chasing cash Despite recession, lobbyists note increase in requests for campaign contributions
COLUMBUS -- "Ohio House Democrats returned to power in January after 14 years in the minority and brought with them an aggressive fundraising style that some lobbyists wish they had left behind.
Legislative Inspector General Tony Bledsoe, who keeps an eye on ethical issues related to legislators and lobbyists, said fundraising requests cross a tough-to-prove legal line when official action is taken in exchange for a contribution.
'Usually to show these kind of cases, you have to get someone on a recording,' he said. 'Otherwise, it's two people with perhaps different interpretations of what occurred,'" Jim Siegel, The Columbus Dispatch. Posted May 24. May 26: Political donor admits laundering Dublin man agrees to fine for funding family's contributions
COLUMBUS -- "A Dublin securities broker who has openly contributed more than $400,000 to political parties and candidates since the 1990s admitted yesterday that he also laundered more than $100,000 through relatives.... In all, Will faced 19 counts of election-law violations, each of which carried a fine of up to $10,000. He and Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien's office reached a settlement in which Will agreed to pay $2,500 per violation.... The Ohio Elections Commission is scheduled to vote Thursday on whether to approve the settlement. If the commission rejects the deal, O'Brien could bring criminal charges," James Nash and Mark Niquette, The Columbus Dispatch. Posted May 23. May 13: Gov. Ted Strickland wants bill allowing state departments to have nonprofit agencies
CLEVELAND -- "Catherine Turcer, director of Ohio Citizen Action's Money and Politics Project, scorned the idea as 'a road map for taking advantage of the state of Ohio'.... Turcer said the amendment could spur abuse and favoritism, by 'smoothing the path' for businesses to cozy up to state agencies that issue licenses and permits. For instance, she said, a manufacturer needing permits to release chemicals into the air and water might curry favor with the Environmental Protection Agency by contributing to its nonprofit arm.
'It would be another way that wealthy interests could affect policymaking,' she said. 'It's time to put the brakes on a really bad idea,'" Margaret Bernstein, Cleveland Plain Dealer. May 8: Critics raise concerns with non-profit funding plan
COLUMBUS -- "A new approach to funding state government through the formation of non-profit organizations has been endorsed by Gov. Ted Strickland, but critics said Thursday the plan could put public interest up for auction.... The amendment would make it legal for state agencies, like the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency, to form non-profit corporations to fund operations.... 'You can imagine the problems,' said Catherine Turcer, director of Money in Politics. 'This is really a time when we don't want to be giving away state resources to contributors,'" Paul Aker, WBNS 10TV News. May 4: Almost half of Cuyahoga County deputies didn't take civil service exam
Gerald McFaul approved all the hires. (Gus Chan/The Plain Dealer)
CLEVELAND -- "Cuyahoga County sheriff's deputies have the power to carry a gun and arrest people, but nearly half of them never took a required civil service test to qualify for the jobs, and the positions were never posted for the public to apply.
The Sheriff's Office hasn't given a hiring test in a decade, but that hasn't stopped the office from hiring 62 deputies.
Fifty-five of the 62 people hired since the last civil service test was given listed police officers, other deputies or politicians as references on their applications. Eleven of them are relatives of sheriff's office employees... Catherine Turcer of Ohio Citizen Action, a public watchdog group, said elected officials shouldn't skirt state law to hire friends and relatives.
'It's like one big family there,' Turcer said. 'We should expect more from law enforcement. It's nepotism at its best,'" Mark Puente, Cleveland Plain Dealer. Published May 3. May 1: Election-law violators owe $31.7 million Fines, fees mount, but state may end up getting little back
COLUMBUS --"As a four-time candidate for local office in the Cleveland suburb of Willowick, John Foxx never paid much heed to the requirement that he file campaign-finance statements each year.
The lawyer and accountant ignored the rule for four straight years in the 1990s, an oversight for which he now owes the state a whopping $345,757.46, according to the attorney general's office.
Foxx's case isn't unusual. Hundreds of former candidates and campaign committees collectively owe the state $31.7 million in fines, interest and penalties, Attorney General Richard Cordray's office told the Ohio Elections Commission yesterday," James Nash, The Columbus Dispatch.
Money in Politics: But what have the penalties been for prominent incumbents? "For the second time in 14 months, state Sen. Ray Miller has been fined by the Ohio Elections Commission for failing to accurately account for his campaign's spending.
Miller, a Columbus Democrat and 24-year legislative veteran, was fined $1,000 yesterday by the bipartisan seven-person panel. However, two of the three alleged elections-law violations filed by the secretary of state were dismissed.... Board Chairman Chuck Calvert, a former GOP legislator from Medina, voted against the fine, saying it was not strong enough." The Columbus Dispatch.
"Former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann was found guilty Thursday [March 19] of violating election laws for misspending his political campaign funds on personal items. The commission could have referred Dann to the county prosecutor for criminal charges but instead fined him $1,000 for the security system spending and ordered up a public reprimand on the cellular phone issue." Cleveland Plain Dealer. May 1: Utilities, nursing homes support Ohio lt. gov.
COLUMBUS --"Nursing homes and utility companies, two powerful interest groups that Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland has taken on publicly, are both contributing to the U.S. Senate campaign of his right-hand man, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher.... Catherine Turcer, who monitors campaign finance issues for the watchdog group Ohio Citizen Action, said it is difficult to know exactly how money influences the budget process — but it does.... 'There are so many different ways to clean up money so that the actual decision makers do not appear to be influenced by that money,' Turcer said. 'Whether the money goes to the political party or the people that surround the decision maker, we can't necessarily figure out what it means — other than we know that these monied interests want something very specific from state government,'" Associated Press. Apr 27: Legislature again blocks state move to curb nursing homes' spending
COLUMBUS --"Amid cuts in areas such as child protective services and charter schools, state spending on long-term care through Medicaid continues unabated, keeping Ohio at 40 percent above the national average....
The [nursing-home] industry gave about $380,000 last year to House candidates and caucus committees. Most of that went to majority Republicans, but with Democrats in charge of the House now, many observers expect the spending pendulum to swing.
A revamped two-year state budget unveiled by House Democrats last week would spend $33.5 million more in state money on nursing homes than Strickland proposed. That money would help draw even more federal Medicaid dollars for the institutions, enabling the House to eliminate Strickland's proposed franchise fee on nursing homes that would have generated $285 million for the state's two-year budget," Catherine Cadinsky and Jim Siegel, The Columbus Dispatch. Apr 24: State Sen. Miller fined over finances Elections panel punishes Miller again
COLUMBUS -- "For the second time in 14 months, state Sen. Ray Miller has been fined by the Ohio Elections Commission for failing to accurately account for his campaign's spending....
Board Chairman Chuck Calvert, a former GOP legislator from Medina, voted against the fine, saying it was not strong enough..... The new punishment again relates to Miller's failure to file complete and accurate campaign-finance reports dating to 2002. The secretary of state's office has spent years trying to get him to file the reports, which he started to do in the past year," Jim Siegel, The Columbus Dispatch. Mar 4: State didn't have right to investigate, Dann says Ex-attorney general fights report's allegations that he misused campaign money
COLUMBUS -- "The law that gave the Ohio inspector general the authority to investigate former Attorney General Marc Dann was bogus, Dann argues.
And even if the law had been valid, the inspector general didn't have the authority to poke around Dann's campaign and transition funds, the former attorney general maintains.
Furthermore, the damning report that Inspector General Thomas P. Charles did produce after a six-month investigation is a flimsy foundation for a complaint alleging that Dann violated election laws, Dann says in a new filing with the Ohio Elections Commission," James Nash, The Columbus Dispatch. Nov 11: Ohio Senate minority leader giving up post Miller to return to legislative basics; campaign-finance questions still loom
COLUMBUS --"Sen. Ray Miller will step down as Senate minority leader this week, less than a year after forcefully taking the seat in a heated power struggle.
Speculation has persisted for weeks that the Columbus Democrat would not remain as minority leader next year as he faces continued questions about his personal campaign-finance reports... Miller was fined $1,500 by the Ohio Elections Commission and continues to face questions about missing and incomplete campaign-finance filings dating back to 2002.
'We've got that all handled now,' Miller said.
But a spokesman for Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner said Miller has not replied yet to an audit letter sent in August asking him to explain tens of thousands of dollars in campaign expenditures, among other things," Jim Siegel, Columbus Dispatch. Nov 11: More money for never-ending campaign
COLUMBUS --"It's been nearly a week since the election, but Democrats are back to fundraising for congressional candidate Mary Jo Kilroy.
Kilroy, trailing Republican state Sen. Steve Stivers by 393 votes for a central Ohio congressional seat, may need the extra funds to see through what could be a difficult vote-counting process, according to liberal blogs that are again shaking the money trees for Kilroy.
As of this posting, 110 contributors had raised $12,080 for Kilroy during the post-election phase," The Daily Briefing, Columbus Dispatch. July 2: GOP candidates must refund donations Akron industrialist used personal PACs to exceed limits
COLUMBUS -- "David Brennan, one of the state's biggest Republican donors, used two political-action committees to funnel nearly $30,000 to state Auditor Mary Taylor and three other GOP candidates -- and now they must give it back.
In a deal with Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, the candidates have 30 days to return the money to prevent the filing of a complaint against Brennan with the Ohio Elections Commission. Brunner's office told Brennan in April that he likely ran afoul of campaign finance law.
In 2006, the Akron industrialist and his wife, Ann, each gave the maximum $10,000 to Taylor, gubernatorial candidate J. Kenneth Blackwell and attorney general candidate Betty D. Montgomery. In 2007, each also gave $10,000 -- $670 under the maximum that year -- to Rep. William G. Batchelder, R-Medina," Jim Siegel, The Columbus Dispatch.
Blog: White Hat Managements David Brennan, Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner settle dispute over questionable political contributions Mark Rollenhagen, Cleveland Plain Dealer. Posted July 1. Four GOP candidates will return Brennan contributions Jim Siegel, The Columbus Dispatch. Posted July 1. June 27: High Court deals blow to Campaign Finance Law Millionaire's Amendment' is ruled unconstitutional WASHINGTON, DC -- "The Supreme Court dealt another blow yesterday to the landmark 2002 campaign finance law crafted by Sens. John McCain and Russell Feingold, declaring unconstitutional a provision that eased fundraising restrictions for political candidates running against wealthy opponents who were bankrolling their own bids for federal office. In a 5 to 4 decision, the court said the "Millionaire's Amendment" to the law imposes an 'unprecedented penalty' on candidates who sought to underwrite their own campaigns," Matthew Mosk and Robert Barnes, Washington Post. June 18: Ohio campaign finance law ruled unconstitutional, again
COLUMBUS -- "The legislature ... passed a version of the same bill ["Pay to Play" House Bill 694] again in the state’s 1,800 page budget last year.
However, in a ruling late this morning, [Judge John F.] Bender also ruled that version unconstitutional as well, on a couple of grounds.
'No bill shall contain more than one subject, which shall be clearly expressed in its title,' Bender wrote citing the Ohio Constitution," Jodi Andes, The Columbus Dispatch Common Pleas Court Decision
"The day before Am. Sub. H.B. 119 was to be voted on, the Senate was
presented with about 190 pages of amendments. The same amendments were
presented to the House the day of the vote., The provisions amending R.C.
3517.093, 3517.13, and 3517.992 appear for the first time in the midst of those
last minute amendments," Common Pleas Court Decision by Judge John F. Bender, June 18, 2008, page 11.
CLEVELAND -- "The head of a good-government group praised the board's move to the Internet -- which is not required by law.
With a number of county officials under federal investigation, accountability has never been more important, said Catherine Turcer, legislative director of Ohio Citizen Action.
'It allows voters to see who is supporting candidates and issues before the elections,' she said. 'You can connect the money with the possible influence it has.'
She added, 'You need a system that is open and transparent. It's nice to know that ordinary citizens can look at these reports anytime they want,'" Ellen Kleinerman, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
CLEVELAND -- "The architects of Cuyahoga County's new government charter are about to tackle the sticky issue of campaign finance reform, keeping a promise made to voters before the November election.
Backers of the successful charter measure, which appeared on the ballot as Issue 6, met twice last month and are forming a panel to deal with campaign finance, a code of ethics and transitioning from three commissioners to an elected executive and 11-member council.... Workers contributing to the campaigns of officeholders is both legal and common in Cuyahoga County, but advocates of good government say the practice can lead to patronage," Laura Johnston, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
NEW YORK, NY
-- "Coal's big lobbying group this August sent workers to 264 cities to attend state fairs, visit Kiwanis meetings and set up tables at college campuses, all part of a campaign aimed at powering advocacy for the fuel. That activity in eight states led to media coverage, a plus for the group, the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, or ACCCE...
But none of the money ACCCE spent on that August effort is reflected in the lobbying report it filed with Congress, detailing spending in July, August and September. The report also fails to capture what ACCCE spent on television advertisements featuring 'real people' talking about the importance of coal as a source of low-cost electricity in their lives," Anne Mulkern, New York Times.
COLUMBUS -- "Here's one sector of the economy where the boom times never seem to end, at least for certain lucky individuals: campaign fundraising.
If you are an incumbent or a candidate viewed by the party establishment as the heir apparent for a primary nomination, just watch the big bucks flow in.
Midnight Thursday was the deadline for congressional candidates to file quarterly campaign-finance reports with the Federal Election Commission.
True, the 2010 primaries are months away, and we are still more than a year away from the general election. But in the eyes of the political world -- from reporters and pundits to party leaders and big givers -- how much a candidate raises now is a big sign of whether he or she has any chance later," Jonathan Riskind, Columbus Dispatch.
