Follow the Money News

Mar 27: Editorial: Details, details

Miller should come clean with well-documented campaign-funding reports

COLUMBUS -- "An elected official who mingles his political and business operations is asking for trouble. When that official has missing or incomplete campaign-expense reports, questions about improprieties are inevitable. That's the situation with Ohio Senate Minority Leader Ray Miller of Columbus, who, from 2006 to 2007, mingled about $20,000 in campaign money with his business operations. That includes rent for an office near the Statehouse. Miller has a campaign office in the Huntington Bank Building. At one time, that office included private businesses operated by the senator or his wife. Because he conducted political activity from the business office, Miller reimbursed himself for his political time spent there. Candidates in Ohio are allowed to use campaign contributions to rent space, but if the campaign office is shared with private business, the political money can't be used to supplement the business. Miller's arrangement doesn't pass the smell test, but one way to lessen suspicion is to file detailed campaign-finance reports, something Miller hasn't managed to do thus far," Columbus Dispatch.


Mar 19: Details still lacking in tardy reports on campaign finances

COLUMBUS -- "Questions about Senate Minority Leader Ray Miller's campaign-finance activity didn't end when the Ohio Elections Commission fined him $1,500 in late February. Though the Columbus Democrat filed years' worth of delinquent reports, many details are missing. The secretary of state's office might ask him to justify some of his campaign spending, such as the nearly $20,000 mingled with his private business interests from 2006 to 2007, including rent for an office across from the Statehouse. 'I have always conducted a lot of political activity from my business office,' Miller said. 'A few years ago, I just decided that I should be reimbursed for all of the political time that was being spent in my business office,' " Jim Siegel, Columbus Dispatch.


Feb 29: Senate's top Dem fined for not filing

COLUMBUS -- "Senate Minority Leader Ray Miller got off with an 'extremely light' fine yesterday for failing to properly file campaign-finance reports stretching back six years, a state election official said. The Ohio Elections Commission approved the $1,500 fine after Miller's attorney, Donald J. McTigue, apologized on behalf of the Columbus Democrat, who until Wednesday night had not filed a single campaign-finance report since mid-2005. He also had problems with other reports dating to 2002. McTigue called it a fair punishment. But J. Curtis Mayhew, the Ohio secretary of state's campaign-finance administrator, strongly disagreed. 'In my opinion, the fine was extremely light, given the fact that a sitting legislator was able to not disclose for an entire election,' he said. Catherine Turcer, director of the Money in Politics Project for Ohio Citizen Action, agrees. 'This is not just about being toothless. It's about being toothless and really slow.' " Jim Siegel, Columbus Dispatch.


Feb 18: Big donors well-known, so why the mystery?

COLUMBUS -- "One would be hard pressed to find any politico around Capitol Square who doesn't know of David Brennan, the Akron industrialist, philanthropist and Ohio's top charter-school operator. He and his wife gave nearly $200,000 to Republican candidates last year. He wears a conspicuous big white hat and runs a company called White Hat Management. He is chairman of two private holding companies, Brennan Industrial Group and the Brenlin Group, that have helped him earn millions. He is no longer an active attorney. But in their 2007 campaign-finance statements, Sen. Keith L. Faber, R-Celina, and Rep. Jim Carmichael, R-Wooster, listed Brennan as a self-employed attorney, while Rep. Mark Wagoner, R-Toledo, listed Brennan's former law firm as his employer. House candidate Tom Whiston listed Brennan as retired. House candidate Dick Hammersmith left Brennan's employer column blank. Rep. Jay Hottinger, R-Newark, called him an "industrialist," which elections officials say is not specific enough. With the availability of information on the Internet, Catherine Turcer said, there is no excuse for candidates not to report where big donors are employed. The director of the Money in Politics Project for Ohio Citizen Action said the problem lingers because candidates face no real consequences. 'How do you figure out who is affecting policy if you can't figure out who is giving the money?' Turcer said," Jim Siegel, Columbus Dispatch.

COLUMBUS -- Miller to answer for missed filings, Jim Siegel, Columbus Dispatch.