Oct - Dec 2004
COLUMBUS -- "Gov. Bob Taft yesterday signed into law a bill requiring public disclosure of money raised and spent to influence elections while quadrupling from $2,500 to $10,000 the amount that candidates can accept from individuals each election cycle," Toledo Blade.
COLUMBUS -- "A state constitutional provision that requires legislators to make laws on only one subject at a time is a mandatory rule, not a guideline, the Ohio Supreme Court said Wednesday. In a 5-2 ruling, justices said past Supreme Court decisions incorrectly determined that the provision was simply a guideline. Logrolling of sorts still happens, said Catherine Turcer, of Ohio Citizen Action, who pointed to a bill enacted last year that revoked drivers' licenses for stealing gasoline, prohibited video piracy and extended the time for companies to report state pollution violations. 'Like a puzzle, everything needs to stick together, but they are not supposed to cram in things that don't need to go into the puzzle,' Turcer said," T. C. Brown, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
COLUMBUS -- "Contrary to the majority's claims, the problem of money in politics will not be solved merely by requiring greater disclosure. I've never seen a campaign won by someone saying, 'My opponent took a big, legal contribution from somebody.' We should have transparency and full disclosure. But that is not the real problem. The problem is that we are under so much pressure to raise money for our campaigns that we begin to allow that money to influence public policy. This (bill) enables the wealthy to put ungodly amounts of money into these campaigns. Literally hundreds of thousands of dollars can be spread under this bill to the members of this legislature. We can label this 'campaign finance reform' and pretend it's real reform. In reality, it will undermine public confidence in the system and increase the risk of misdeeds. Full disclosure is a good thing. But to require more disclosure while quadrupling contribution limits is to take one step forward and three steps back. This bill will do more harm than good. It's an ineffective response to the problem of money in politics," editorial, Cincinnati Enquirer.
The people finally have been assured the right to know the sources of the money that flows through state politics
CLEVELAND -- "To its credit, the Ohio General Assembly fixed the most unconscionable faults in the state's campaign finance laws. The bill passed by the House and Senate late last week essentially requires prompt and complete disclosure of all money that pours into the political process," editorial, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
COLUMBUS -- "The Senate watered down a House provision that initially would have invalidated the entire law if the courts struck down any one of its many provisions. The Senate amended the bill so that the all-or-nothing ultimatum would apply only to sections dealing with forcing anonymously financed groups like Citizens for a Strong Ohio, a corporate-backed group that targeted Supreme Court candidates, to reveal who's behind their ads. Under the final language, the ban against spending labor or corporate cash for ads 30 days before an election would be eliminated entirely if a court decides either one is unconstitutional. The same would be true for a separate section dealing with forced public disclosure of where such groups get their money prior the 30-day window. The rest of the bill, including contribution caps and a ban on contributions from children younger than 7, would survive," Jim Provance, Toledo Blade.
COLUMBUS -- Campaign-finance reform bill OK'd; Session ends in rancor, party-line vote, Ted Wendling, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
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| Bill sponsor Sen. Randy Gardner (Bowling Green) |
COLUMBUS -- Senate committee approves campaign finance bill, Andrew Welsh-Huggins, Akron Beacon Journal.
COLUMBUS -- State campaign-finance bill goes to Senate; OK expected, Ted Wendling, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
COLUMBUS -- Rethink campaign finance bill, editorial, Cincinnati Enquirer.
COLUMBUS -- Ohio Senate panel OKs campaign-funding plan. Bill would quadruple political-donation limits, Jim Provance, Toledo Blade.
GOP rejects changes to campaign reform bill
Measure crafted in private gives controversial system more money, critics charge
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| Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder (Glenford) |
COLUMBUS -- House approves campaign finance changes; Ohio measure designed to survive court challenges, James Drew, Toledo Blade.
COLUMBUS -- House OKs campaign finance reform; Bill helps businesses, rich, opponents say; Senate to vote Friday, Jon Craig, Columbus Dispatch. Access fee; no link.
AKRON -- Those cute Republicans; Talk of progress on campaign reform? It was exaggerated. "The reality is, Republicans cannot resist the shell games and laundering schemes," editorial, Akron Beacon Journal.
COLUMBUS -- "The debate over how to revise Ohio's campaign finance law heated up yesterday, as groups ranging from the Ohio Chamber of Commerce to the Sierra Club criticized different sections of the bill. Catherine Turcer, legislative director for Ohio Citizen Action, said requiring issue-advocacy groups to disclose their contributions and spending for seven or eight months around elections is unconstitutional. 'Organizations have the right to criticize public officials and seek redress. These communications are not about elections; they are about public policy and decision-making,' she said," James Drew, Toledo Blade.
- Background on the current campaign finance reform bill, OSU Moritz College of Law.
COLUMBUS -- "Residents and union leaders questioned the timing and wisdom of campaign-finance legislation yesterday during public hearings in the Ohio House and Senate. The current campaign bill is a vastly rewritten version of Senate Bill 214 proposed by Gardner last March and Senate Bill 10, which he introduced in January 2003. Catherine Turcer, legislative director for Ohio Citizen Action, said certain provisions of the latest bill might not pass constitutional challenges, particularly restrictions on limiting unions from spending members’ dues on campaigns without more disclosure," Jon Craig, Columbus Dispatch. Access fee; no link.
The governor has called a special session of the legislature. The topic is campaign reform. The priority should be full disclosure.
AKRON -- "Beyond disclosure, Taft and the legislature must tread carefully, especially in raising contribution limits. Campaign reform bills are notorious for opening new loopholes or prying open old ones. Clamping down too hard in one area can, unintentionally, force money into new channels, leading to yet another scramble for regulation to catch up to reality. The most pressing need is to stop secret political funds and Householder's trick of banking money in various county party accounts against the possibility of a future statewide race. The reform agenda must be broad enough to cover past problems, but not create a whole new mess to be cleaned up later," editorial, Akron Beacon Journal.
- Overview of the Special Session: Campaign Finance Reform Bills (Senate Bill 1/House Bill 1), memo, Catherine Turcer, Legislative Director, Ohio Citizen Action, 31 KB doc.
CLEVELAND -- "We believe Speaker-elect John Husted, like the governor, is sincere in arguing for passage of a worthy bill that includes complete disclosure and the elimination of political parties' secret county operating accounts," editorial, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
COLUMBUS -- "State Sen. Randy Gardner (R., Bowling Green), sponsor of the campaign finance bill, said the goal is to send a bill to Mr. Taft for his signature next week. But Catherine Turcer, Ohio Citizen Action's legislative director, said the complexity of the 191-page bill could make that schedule unrealistic," James Drew, Toledo Blade.
COLUMBUS -- Campaign-finance reform bill aims to open up process, Julie Carr Smyth, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Dec 10: Campaign
finance legislation
Taft calls for special session to work
on bill
COLUMBUS
-- "Contributors could give four times as much cash to Ohio candidates
under a revamped campaign-finance bill nearing approval in the state legislature.
Yesterday, Gov. Bob Taft formally summoned the Senate to reconvene Monday
for the first special session called by a governor in 28 years. 'I have
repeatedly made it very clear that I am determined to get a good campaign-finance
reform bill enacted by the end of the year. That is my highest priority
right now,' Taft said. In the past few weeks, the long-delayed bill has
attracted so many new goodies that it has grown from 60 pages to more
than 220. Catherine Turcer, legislative director for Ohio Citizen Action,
was skeptical of some of the lastminute amendments. 'Many terrible things
have been done in the name of reform,' she said. 'What is one person’s
reform is another person’s deform.' The latest version, expected
to be made public today, would quadruple the current $2,500 contribution
limit from individual donors," Jon Craig and Lee Leonard, Columbus
Dispatch. Access fee; no link.
COLUMBUS -- An anti-reform bill may be rushed through the Ohio General Assembly this December, release, Bill Woods, Common Cause Education Fund, Larry Higdon, Common Cause/Ohio, 22 KB doc.
COLUMBUS -- "Lawmakers have consistently promised to deliver the reforms this year, which, despite White's action, still might be possible. White encouraged Gov. Bob Taft to order legislators to return 'should a final agreement be reached on meaningful campaign-finance reform.' Taft complied. In a hastily called news conference, the governor said he would order legislators by Friday to return in a special session next week to approve a campaign-finance bill. 'I have repeatedly made it clear that I am determined that we get campaign-finance reform done before the end of the year,' the governor said. 'That's my highest priority right now,'" T.C. Brown, Sandy Theis, Ted Wendling, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
COLUMBUS -- Taft calls legislature into special session to enact campaign finance reform, release, Office of Gov. Bob Taft.
The view from my black helicopter
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| Dr. Mark Salling, Director, Northern Ohio Data and Information Service. |
WASHINGTON, DC -- Ohio vote count official, but not over; Recount effort, Democrats' probe to go on, Carl Weiser, Gannett News Service.
COLUMBUS -- Blackwell certifies Ohio election results; And the winner is ..., Sandy Theis, Stephen Koff, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
COLUMBUS -- Democrats promise investigation; Party officials vow to correct Ohio problems with election process, regardless of expense, Carl Chancellor, Akron Beacon Journal.
COLUMBUS -- Bush wins Ohio, again; Results certified, but voting challenges are far from over, Mark Niquette, Columbus Dispatch. Access fee; no link.
Measure raises caps, blacks out some ads
COLUMBUS -- "Catherine Turcer, legislative director for Ohio Citizen Action, which issues reports mined from campaign-finance data, has been pressing for the bill to require county parties and candidates that receive more than $10,000 to file reports electronically with the secretary of state. She also wants a requirement that campaign committees include information on donors' occupations and employers to better track individual contributions that come from the same employers," Ted Wendling, Sandy Theis, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
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| Federal Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr. |
COLUMBUS -- "[U.S. District Court Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr.] yesterday ruled that a recount of the Ohio presidential election results may proceed, but he declined to order that it begin immediately. . . Sargus ruled the candidates wouldn’t be harmed if the recount wasn’t expedited. The judge suggested that might not have been the case had Kerry asked for a recount, but the Kerry-Edwards campaign filed to be only a party in the lawsuit brought by Cobb and Badnarik. . . . lawyers for the third-party candidates and the National Voting Rights Institute argued that a recount would allow a full examination of the results —- including 92,672 ballots that weren’t counted because they had either too many or no votes cast for president," Mark Niquette, Columbus Dispatch. Access fee; no link.
Revisions to Senate bill draw flak at hearing
Allowing unlimited corporate money is a mistake, some say
COLUMBUS -- "As the legislature nears the end of its two-year session, proponents of campaign-finance reform are growing 'pretty skeptical,' said Catherine Turcer, legislative director with Ohio Citizen Action. 'Talking about reform isn't actual reform.' Turcer, who testified at an earlier hearing, said public advocates will remain dubious unless they see reforms in writing. The committee plans another public hearing Tuesday," Jon Craig, Columbus Dispatch. Access fee; no link.
COLUMBUS -- "Ohio does not need a recount of its presidential ballots. Reasonable observers understand that the outcome of Nov. 2 voting in the presidential contest is beyond reasonable dispute. President Bush won Ohio. By about 136,000 votes, according to the state’s unofficial tally. Nothing the Rev. Jesse Jackson and his Rainbow Coalition could unearth in their agitation of recent days will change that. Nothing. Jackson rallied Democrats in Columbus Sunday and in Cincinnati Monday calling for a probe of what he and his allies contend are voting irregularities," editorial, Middletown Journal.
COLUMBUS -- Something's fishy in Ohio, editorial, Chicago Sun-Times.
COLUMBUS -- "The Rev. Jesse Jackson called for Congress to investigate alleged irregularities in the presidential election in Ohio, from a shortage of voting machines in predominantly black and Democratic precincts to voters who weren't told how to cast a regular ballot. . . Mr. Jackson, the veteran civil rights activist who sought the Democratic nomination for president in 1984 and 1988, said he supports a recount in Ohio that the presidential candidates of the Green and Libertarian parties have sought. His call for an investigation came a week after the Government Accountability Office, an arm of Congress, said it is examining issues across the nation including voter registration, provisional ballots, and new voting machines," James Drew, Toledo Blade.
Republicans have a chance to enact finance reform that really matters, but can they play it straight?
CLEVELAND -- "The legislature must pass a bill that requires total and rapid disclosure of campaign contributions and their sources that is fair to both Republicans and Democrats and that shuts down the process of allowing candidates to squirrel away money in secret accounts maintained by county-based political-party organizations," editorial, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Suit seeks to validate provisional ballots
CLEVELAND -- "People for the American Way wants the court to order Blackwell and the county elections board to check electronic voter-registration rolls against paper registration records, to notify each voter who cast an invalidated ballot why it was rejected, and to give that person a way to contest the invalidation. The suit also wants ballots counted if voters cast them in the wrong places and officials failed to send them to the right polling places," James Ewinger, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
CLEVELAND -- "U.S. District Judge James Carr explained his refusal in an order issued Tuesday, responding to a lawsuit filed the day before by presidential candidates David Cobb of the Green Party and Michael Badnarik of the Libertarian Party. That suit asked Carr to force Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell to complete a statewide hand recount of presidential votes by Dec. 7, the day Ohio certifies its representatives to the Electoral College. But the law says those suing must show they would suffer irreparable harm without court action, Carr wrote. And neither Cobb nor Badnarik, he said, 'possesses even a remote chance of victory through a recount,'" Cleveland Plain Dealer.
COLUMBUS -- Delaware County court blocks recount
"A Delaware County judge yesterday granted a temporary restraining order sought by the county’s Board of Elections to block Green and Libertarian presidential candidates from forcing a recount of the Nov. 2 election results," Mary Beth Lane, Columbus Dispatch. Access fee; no link.
2 groups file action in Toledo federal court
TOLEDO
-- "The Green and Libertarian parties yesterday filed a federal lawsuit
to force the immediate recount of the 5.5 million presidential votes cast
in Ohio on Nov. 2. Filed yesterday in U.S. District Court in Toledo, the
suit argues that the state's schedule doesn't leave enough time for a full-hand
recount in all 88 counties before the state's 20 electoral votes are formally
handed to President Bush on Dec. 13. The schedule requires counties to send
their final results by Dec. 1 to Mr. Blackwell, who hopes to certify the
count no later than Dec. 6. If a recount were then immediately requested,
counties would give all candidates five days advance notice, meaning the
recount could not begin until a few days at the earliest before the Dec.
13 meeting of the Ohio Electoral College in Columbus," Jim Provance, Toledo
Blade .TOLEDO -- Suit asks court to hasten Ohio presidential recount, Diane Suchetka, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
COLUMBUS -- Council OKs campaign law
"The City Council last night approved new regulations designed to make it easier to connect the dots between contributors and the interests they represent. According to the new rules, the city will require contributors to list their employers. Groups that lobby for or against city ballot issues also would be required to reveal donors and employers. Catherine Turcer, of Ohio Citizen Action, said any time more information is put into voters’ hands it makes a big difference. 'This is significant reform,' she said," Mark Ferenchik and Jodi Andes, Columbus Dispatch. Access Fee; no link.
MORE ON MONEY AND POLITICS
Secrecy allows Ohio politicians to play money games, and only openness will cure them of the compulsion
CLEVELAND -- ". . .perhaps most critical to the reform effort is the need to instill complete transparency in the campaign finance system. Full and immediate disclosure of the source of every dollar in every account that affects an election is imperative. Only when that change is complete can the integrity of the system be restored. The corrosive fallout from numerous scandals around the Statehouse has made reform a priority for legislators. But true reform will be accomplished only if legislators eliminate the secrecy and the shell game that have allowed special-interest money to hold sway over Ohio's lawmakers and its public policy," editorial, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
COLUMBUS -- Count on conspiracies; Scrutiny of election will help Ohio find ways to improve the process
". . . whatever the motives of those raising issues about the vote, the scrutiny will be all to the good. The Libertarian Party and the Green Party have announced that they have raised the money to pay for a recount. A recount would pinpoint problems and could lay conspiracy theories to rest. These outcomes are welcome because the result will be an improved voting system," editorial, Columbus Dispatch. Access fee; no link.
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| Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, who refuses to answer the most basic questions about the 2004 Ohio election. |
COLUMBUS -- "A trio of activist lawyers armed with mysteriously wrong exit polls and hundreds of voter horror stories announced plans Friday to contest Ohio's presidential election as soon as the vote is official. Their challenge could lead to widespread reconsideration of dozens of alleged election irregularities around the state -- from reported computerized voting glitches to provisional-ballot mishaps to unusual incidents involving voter rolls, poll workers and machine technicians," Julie Carr Smyth, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
COLUMBUS -- Ohio election to be challenged; Attorneys documenting Nov. 2 voting problems say they want the truth, Andrew Welsh-Huggins, Associated Press.
COLUMBUS -- Long hours spent preparing final count, Associated Press.
COLUMBUS -- Coalition to contest election results; Lawsuit aimed at problems reported in presidential race, Jon Craig, Columbus Dispatch.
COLUMBUS -- "If you thought you were deluged with more presidential television ads than ever this year, you’re right. Ohioans were pummeled by an unprecedented $40 million onslaught of TV ads last month, including more than $7 million in the Columbus market alone, according to a Dispatch analysis. 'There was so much money. But, to me, the problem was the paucity of truth,' said Catherine Turcer, legislative director for Ohio Citizen Action," Jon Craig, Catherine Candisky, Columbus Dispatch. Access fee; no link.
MORE ON MONEY AND POLITICS
CLEVELAND -- "Seeming to brush aside John Kerry's concession speech, the Ohio Democratic Party has launched a federal court fight over nearly 155,000 provisional ballots by contending a proper accounting of those votes might decide who really won. . . .The lawsuit asked U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson to order Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell to impose uniform standards for counting provisional votes on all 88 counties. Democrats want the judge to take action quickly -- before the results of the election are certified. . . .'In Bush v. Gore, the United States Supreme Court held that the failure to provide specific standards for counting of ballots that are sufficient to assure a uniform count statewide violates the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution,' their court filing said," Bill Sloat, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
CINCINNATI -- Ohio Democratic Party seeks uniform ballot count, Associated Press.
AKRON -- Provisional ballot count continues, Akron Beacon Journal.
Shirley Frazier, supervisor of registration, checks polling registration books as she validates provisional ballots Tuesday at the Hamilton County Board of Elections. Counting of ballots began Nov. 6. Photo by Michael E. Keating, Cincinnati Enquirer.
Summit elections board sifts through, rules on damaged and absentee ballots
AKRON -- "The board is expected to have an official determination today on how many of the 5,932 provisional ballots cast in the Nov. 2 election could be verified," Lisa A. Abraham, Akron Beacon Journal.
AKRON -- 1,200 provisional ballots rejected; Summit board takes dim view of dimples, Steve Luttner, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
CINCINNATI -- 'Official' election tally a tedious task, Cindi Andrews, Cincinnati Enquirer.
Third-party candidates say they want to ensure votes counted properly
COLUMBUS -- "A pair of third-party presidential candidates, Libertarian Michael Badnarik and the Green Party’s David Cobb, said yesterday that they have raised enough money to pay for a statewide recount after the results are certified in early December. . . [Some observers] note, for example, that there are about 155,000 provisional ballots yet to be counted, as well as an undetermined number of military and overseas ballots that were due last Friday. Then there are the 92,672 votes statewide that were not counted on election night, either because people cast more than one vote in the presidential race or none at all. Some undervotes are intentional, and some overvotes are the result of voter mistakes. But critics fear the heavy use of punch cards in Ohio means there could be other errors -— and the uncounted ballots should be scrutinized to determine if a vote should have been counted," Mark Niquette, Columbus Dispatch. Access fee; no link.
NEW YORK, NY -- Why Kerry conceded though he had the most votes, Greg Palast, Salon.
COLUMBUS -- Lawmakers debate expanding corporate giving in campaigns, Associated Press.
The state's top elections official is too much of a player
AKRON -- "Members of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus remain steamed over long lines at the polls and a series of Blackwell directives that were, at best, confusing and contradictory. At worse, they may have dampened turnout. Caucus members feel Blackwell's position as chief elections officer was compromised by his position as co-chair of the Bush campaign in Ohio and his outspoken support of state Issue 1, the ban on gay marriage. . . .At this point, Ohioans should be well beyond wondering what Blackwell is really up to," editorial, Akron Beacon Journal.AKRON -- 29 voters cast ballots twice; Summit County Board of Elections meets Tuesday to deal with double votes, provisional ballots, other election issues, Lisa A. Abraham, Akron Beacon Journal.
COLUMBUS -- Meaningful campaign-finance reform by the legislature? Not likely! "The GOP majority had at least two years to make meaningful reforms. Then it got too late to affect most of the 2004 races, so they thought they'd at least try to clean up the funding of Ohio Supreme Court races, of which there were three. That went by the boards, too, and now they're in the middle of a lameduck session. If they don't get something done next month, they'll have to start all over with the session in January," Lee Leonard, editorial, Columbus Dispatch. Access fee; no link.
COLUMBUS -- Advocates wary of GOP reform-bill shepherd, Ted Wendling, Sandy Theis, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
CLEVELAND -- "By Friday afternoon, fewer than 6,000 of the nearly 25,000 provisional ballots in Cuyahoga County had been reviewed, elections director Michael Vu said. So far, about two-thirds of those votes have been deemed legitimate, but those numbers could change. In Summit County, elections officials expect to begin recounting the ballots on Tuesday. Director Bryan Williams said his staff has found that about 10 percent of the 5,932 provisional ballots in the county are invalid. When deciding on provisional ballots, the local boards are trying to rely on guidelines issued by Secretary of State Ken Blackwell last week. But Blackwell's ruling doesn't cover every problem the local boards have found -- such as what to do with a provisional ballot that bears a voter's signature, but not a date of birth. Representatives of the Democratic and Republican parties are monitoring the provisional-ballot review in Cuyahoga County; in addition, lawyers from Kerry's campaign have said they want to find out about any voting irregularities in the state," Scott Hiaasen, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Most voters in Ohio chose Kerry. Here's how the votes vanished.
NEW YORK, NY -- "Add to the spoiled ballots a second group of uncounted votes, the 'provisional' ballots, and -- voila! -- the White House would have turned Democrat blue. But that won't happen because of the peculiar way provisional ballots are counted or, more often, not counted. Introduced by federal law in 2002, the provisional ballot was designed especially for voters of color. Proposed by the Congressional Black Caucus to save the rights of those wrongly scrubbed from voter rolls, it was, in Republican-controlled swing states, twisted into a back-of-the-bus ballot unlikely to be tallied. Unlike the real thing, these ballots are counted only by the whimsy and rules of a state's top elections official; and in Ohio, that gives a virtually ballot veto to Bush-Cheney campaign co-chair, [Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth] Blackwell. Mr. Blackwell has a few rules to make sure a large proportion of provisional ballots won't be counted. For the first time in memory, the Secretary of State has banned counting ballots cast in the 'wrong' precinct, though all neighborhoods share the same President," Greg Palast, In These Times.
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| Edward Foley |
COLUMBUS -- Kerry campaign scrutinizes Ohio; Checks provisional ballots, other issues. "The Kerry campaign has compiled a list of more than 30 questions for local election officials, asking about the number of absentee and provisional ballots, any reports of equipment malfunctions on election night, and any ballots that still listed third-party challenger Ralph Nader as a candidate. . . . Election officials cannot begin to officially canvass the ballots until Saturday. But in Cuyahoga County, they have begun reviewing provisional ballots to make sure the voters are registered and did not vote more than once. This review process is being monitored by representatives of both political parties," Scott Hiaasen, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
COLUMBUS -- Ohio GOP chief proposes new campaign-finance rules. "Worried that independent groups are eroding the clout of political parties, Ohio Republican Chairman Robert T. Bennett floated a plan yesterday to reassert the parties' preeminence. Bennett advocated lifting or increasing limits on personal contributions to party operations and general campaign activities. He said restrictions are driving money to unregulated, independent campaign groups, so-called 527 organizations. Bennett said that if the legislature doesn't eliminate the limits on contributions to parties, the state GOP will establish its own 527 groups," Joe Hallett, Lee Leonard, Columbus Dispatch. Access fee; no link.
COLUMBUS -- Campaign finance reform goes slowly, Jim Siegel, Cincinnati Enquirer.
COLUMBUS -- "As much as we can say in social science that something is impossible, it is impossible that the discrepancies between predicted and actual vote counts in the three critical battleground states [Ohio, Florida, and Pennsylvania] of the 2004 election could have been due to chance or random error," Dr. Steven F. Freeman, University of Pennsylvania, 264 KB pdf.
COLUMBUS -- End hidden donations; Ohio's GOP leaders should seal the deal on campaign-finance reform. "Ohioans now expect Republicans to keep their promise to clean up the state campaign-finance mess. Removing that stain requires new laws that make the entire process of routing money from donors to candidates fully transparent," editorial, Columbus Dispatch. Access fee; no link.
AKRON -- Consensus for disclosure; Following the political money shouldn't be so hard, editorial, Akron Beacon Journal.
Chairman vows to meet count deadline
COLUMBUS -- "A staff report to the elections board members included an update on the research into whether provisional ballots cast on election day are valid. Of the 1,548 investigated so far, fewer than half - 709 - were considered to be valid. Of those found to be disqualified, 494 were cast by people not registered to vote; 218 were cast in the wrong precinct; 57 did not include a required statement by the voter affirming that they are qualified to vote, and 29 were found to contain signatures different from the signature the voter had on file, said Ms. Hicks-Hudson. She added that 41 provisional ballot envelopes were deemed to be empty. Overall in Lucas County, 6,719 provisional ballots were cast," Fritz Wenzel, Toledo Blade.
COLUMBUS -- Public hearings on campaign finance reform at the Statehouse today and tomorrow. "The State Government Committee of the Ohio House of Representatives is holding public hearings on the need for campaign finance reform, with an emphasis on improving citizens access to information. Governor Bob Taft, Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, Ohio Senator Randy Gardner and Ohio Rep. Jon Husted made a strong commitment to passing campaign finance reforms following the election. Taft and Blackwell called for a variety of reforms including those to require full disclosure of all contributions to political parties, eliminate county political party state candidate funds which have been used to avoid contribution limits, and establish uniform contribution limits for state and local candidates. The current campaign finance bill, Senate Bill 214, does not include these reforms. The current draft does not ban corporate contributions to third- party organizations that run candidate ads. The State Government Committee is urging the public to testify about the need for improved disclosure of political dollars. Come and testify about the need for improved disclosure and the need to continue the ban on direct corporate contributions. For more information contact Catherine Turcer (614) 263-4111 or Rep. Jim Carmichael (614) 466-1474," Ohio Citizen Action.
COLUMBUS -- Citizen hearings to probe election -- "Citizen groups are holding two public hearings in Columbus to investigate voting irregularities and voter suppression in Ohio surrounding the 2004 General Election: Saturday, November 13, 1-4 PM at New Faith Baptist Church, 955 Oak Street, Columbus, and Monday, November 15, 6-9 PM, Auditorium (Meeting Room A), Courthouse, 373 S. High St., Columbus. "We are calling for anyone who experienced or observed election irregularities or voter suppression on Election Day to come forward and give their testimony. We are calling for our public officials, community representatives and the media to come and hear the testimony of the people. We will document and/or videotape the testimonies for use in a report and a formal complaint to the Franklin County Board of Elections." Sponsored by Ohio Citizens Alliance for Secure Elections, Common Cause Ohio, This Time We're Watching, Driving Votes, International Labor Communications Association, Ohio Election Reform Now, Columbus Institute for Contemporary Journalism, WVKO Radio, and Columbus League of PO'd Voters. Amy Kaplan, (248) 943-2335.
DURHAM, NC -- Ohio's provisional ballots: The state of play, Jordan Green, Southern Exposure, 188 KB pdf.
COLUMBUS -- Four justices recuse selves from appeal -- "Four Ohio Supreme Court justices, all victims or beneficiaries of corporate-bankrolled election ads, will not participate in decisions related to the Ohio Chamber of Commerce's attempt to prevent disclosure of its contributors," Jim Provance, Toledo Blade.
CLEVELAND -- "Ohio Treasurer Joe Deters is headed home to a job as Hamilton County's top law enforcer and, as such, its moral compass. That reality seems ironic to the many who watched Deters grapple in the last year with a pay-to-play scandal that ensnared three close allies in the web of a Cuyahoga County grand jury. Deters was never charged in the Cleveland probe. Catherine Turcer, Ohio Citizen Action's campaign-finance watchdog, said she is astonished at the turn of events. Deters served as Hamilton County's prosecutor from 1992 to 1998, when he won statewide office. The treasurer decided to run again for the county job after present prosecutor Mike Allen got entangled in a sex scandal. 'To think that he [Deters] is this moral authority for the county is ludicrous . . .,' Turcer said. 'Anyone who knows him and his henchmen would find it incredible for him to prosecute anybody,'" John Caniglia and Julie Carr Smyth, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
COLUMBUS -- "Columbus is offering makers of defibrillators the opportunity to market themselves as the city's exclusive supplier in exchange for discounts and kickbacks. . . . Catherine Turcer, legislative director for government watch dog group Ohio Citizen Action, described the proposal as weird, but said, 'It is hard to argue about something that could potentially save hundreds of people's lives,'" Associated Press
CLEVELAND -- "Ohio Citizen Action, as a matter of board policy, does not endorse or otherwise support candidates, directly or indirectly. We have a big interest in this election however: the voting rights of our 100,000 members and all Ohioans. President George Bush and Senator John Kerry are acting as though they have the authority to decide who won by mutual agreement. They are, of course, wrong: there is no official count yet. Accordingly, I hope you can quickly answer the following questions," Sandy Buchanan, Executive Director, Ohio Citizen Action, letter to Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, November 5, 2004.
COLUMBUS -- "The original version of Senate Bill 214 required full disclosure of contributions to independent, third-party groups that get involved in Ohio Supreme Court races. Now the House wants to include disclosure requirements for groups that involve themselves in elections from governor to dog catcher, said Rep. Kevin DeWine, a Fairborn Republican on the committee. . . .The need for reform has been kicked around since 2000 and could have been done sooner, said Catherine Turcer, of the government watchdog group Ohio Citizen Action. Turcer welcomed the expansion of the bill, but worried that the new version erased language in the original bill that prevented labor unions and corporations from funneling money to the third-party groups. 'Those donations could completely overwhelm individual donors, and when you look at electioneering communication it tends to influence an election,' Turcer said," T.C. Brown, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
COLUMBUS -- Back to work on campaign financing; Legislators are told all political groups should have to list contributors' names, Jon Craig, Columbus Dispatch. Access fee; no link.
COLUMBUS -- Campaign financing: Ohio chief justice wants law to say who pays the bills; Independent group ads targeted, Jim Provance, Toledo Blade.
COLUMBUS -- "Embattled House Speaker Larry Householder appeared to have won his bid to become auditor of his tiny, rural home county on Tuesday. . . Householder was ahead of [Bill] Crane, 7,176 to 6,990 with 45 of 46 precincts reporting. Ohio Citizen Action's campaign finance expert, Catherine Turcer, said Householder's failure to trounce his opponent in the race suggests voters have been paying attention. 'People say that campaign finance is not one of their top issues, but what they do care about is corruption,' she said. 'They do want a public official that is trustworthy, and whether he is acting in their best interest,'" Julie Carr Smyth, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Campaign-finance reform for Columbus elections would make voters savvier
COLUMBUS -- "Columbus City Council should waste no time passing a law to make campaign contributions in city political races transparent. . . Columbus and the county elections board will have to start a system from scratch. But voters will be well-served if countywide campaigns, school-levy races and other types of campaigns start providing electronic reports," editorial, Columbus Dispatch. Access fee; no link.
COLUMBUS -- Civility of Ohio high-court race upset by last-minute attack ad. "It waited until just before the election, but the attack is under way in what have so far been unusually civil campaigns for three contested seats on the Ohio Supreme Court. A newly registered political action committee financed by personal injury lawyers is airing a television ad targeting Republican Justice Terrence O'Donnell and supporting his Democratic challenger, Warren-based appellate Judge William O'Neill. 'Oh NO! It's O'Donnell AGAIN!' the words on the screen read. . . 'I had wondered, with O'Neill having no money, whether somebody else would step in," said Catherine Turcer, of government watchdog Ohio Citizen Action,'" Jim Provance, Toledo Blade.
COLUMBUS -- "Industries with an interest in how the court decides issues such as insurance claims and caps on jury award have stuck to specific candidates. Ohio Citizen Action reported 99.5 percent of the $712,000 donated by insurance PACs and employees went to Republicans. More than 99 percent of the $573,000 given by the health care industry also went to those GOP candidates: Chief Justice Thomas Moyer, Justice Terrence O'Donnell and Judge Judith Lanzinger. On the flip side, more than 83 percent of the $885,000 contributed by personal injury attorneys went to Democratic judges C. Ellen Connally, Nancy Fuerst and William O'Neill. Catherine Turcer, legislative director of Ohio Citizen Action, said the giving, particularly by insurance and health-care groups, is more concentrated on Republicans this year than in the past. "There continues to be big money spending, but now it is so clearly focused on special interests," she said," Jim Siegel, Cincinnati Enquirer.
COLUMBUS -- Republicans split $9 million. In Ohio’s high-court race, the 3 GOP candidates hold 90 percent of all donations. "Of the estimated $10 million spent so far on the races for four Ohio Supreme Court seats up for election Tuesday, about $9 million is going to three Republicans. The money backs Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer, Toledo Appeals Court Judge Judith Lanzinger and Justice Terrence O’Donnell. An analysis released yesterday by Ohio Citizen Action found that doctors and hospitals have given $570,000 to Supreme Court campaigns, nearly one-tenth of the total contributions and almost exclusively to Republicans," Jon Craig, Columbus Dispatch. Access fee; no link.
COLUMBUS -- Habash tables campaign-finance legislation after complaints. "The Columbus City Council will delay a vote on new rules for campaign-finance reports after two people criticized the time of a hearing yesterday — at 4 p.m. on Beggars Night and five days before a critical election. Catherine Turcer, legislative director for Ohio Citizen Action, also urged additional hearings and expert testimony. The new rules would require contributors to city campaigns to list their employers. The size of contributions would not be limited. Turcer suggested that the legislation require that candidates identify contributions they receive from city contractors and their employees," Mark Ferenchik, Columbus Dispatch. Access fee; no link.
Insurance, hospital, doctor money goes exclusively to GOP
COLUMBUS -- "Hospitals and physicians gave over 99 percent ($569,259/ $573,119) of their contributions to contested Republican Supreme Court candidates, according to a study released today by Ohio Citizen Action. Insurance PACs and employees have contributed $711,974 to Supreme Court candidates; nearly all (99.5 percent) to the contested Republican candidates. Personal injury attorneys gave over 83 percent ($738,470/$884,831) of the contributions to the Democratic candidates and the uncontested Republican. 'These findings show why candidates for the Court should be required to identify attorneys who have had business in their court in the past year,' said Catherine Turcer of Ohio Citizen Action. 'This recommendation of the Next Steps Disclosure Working Group has become increasingly necessary and can be mandated by the Court,'" release, Catherine Turcer, Legislative Director, Ohio Citizen Action. - Full text: Election 2004: Campaign Contributions to Candidates for Chief Justice and Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court from November 2, 2003- October 13, 2004, Catherine Turcer, Brandi Whetstone, Ohio Citizen Action Education Fund, 971 KB doc.
- Full spreadsheet, 8.24 MB xls.
COLUMBUS -- Loophole lets parties fund high court races. "Catherine Turcer of Citizen Action, pointed to 11th District Court of Appeals Judge O'Neill, Justice O'Donnell's challenger, who has attempted to make the point that judges and money don't mix. He has voluntarily limited his campaign contributions to $100 per individual and $1,000 per organization, a move that has resulted in his raising just $58,000. Justice O'Donnell, by comparison, has raised $1.4 million to finance a healthy TV ad campaign. '[Judge O'Neill] took this stand, but he doesn't have enough money to let people know he took this principled stand,' Ms. Turcer said," Jim Provance, Toledo Blade.
COLUMBUS -- "Candidates
for the Ohio Supreme Court are national champs when it comes to raising
money for their campaigns. Combined, the candidates have raised more than
$5 million since November 2003, topping the totals raised by Supreme Court
candidates in 19 other states, based on finance reports candidates filed
Thursday and data
gathered by Ohio Citizen Action. "This election secures Ohio's reputation
as the poster child for big money and special interests in Supreme Court
elections," said Catherine Turcer of Citizen Action. From November
2003 to September this year, the top organizational contributor to Supreme
Court candidates was Cincinnati Insurance Co., which gave more than $82,000,
mostly to the Republicans. The second-largest contributor was the Cleveland
law firm of Nurenberg Plevin Heller & McCarthy, which contributed more
than $68,000, mostly to the Democrats, according to Citizen Action," T.C.
Brown and Sandy Theis, Cleveland Plain Dealer.COLUMBUS -- Supreme Court candidates with little name recognition raise millions, Andrew Welsh-Huggins, Associated Press.
COLUMBUS -- GOP justices raise 3 times more than Democratic rivals, Jim Provance, Toledo Blade.
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| Cincinnati Insurance Companies is the top organizational contributor to Ohio Supreme Court races this year. |
- Election 2004: Campaign Contributions to Candidates for Chief Justice and Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court from November 2, 2003- September 30, 2004, Catherine Turcer and Brandi Whetstone, full text, 486 KB doc.
- Contributions spreadsheet full, 8 MB xls; Spreadsheet key, 24 KB doc.
COLUMBUS -- Ohio Supreme Court campaign fundraising leads the nation, Hannah News Service.
COLUMBUS -- "Combined, the insurance industry and personal-injury attorneys have pumped $1.5 million into the treasuries of this year's Supreme Court candidates, according to an Ohio Citizen Action database. And candidates aren't done collecting. Personal-injury attorneys tend to favor Democratic candidates C. Ellen Connally, a retired Cleveland Municipal Court judge; Nancy Fuerst, a Cuyahoga County Common Pleas judge; and William O'Neill, an 11th Ohio District Court of Appeals judge. The attorneys have given $613,000 to Democrats and $199,000 to Republicans, according to Citizen Action. Insurers favor the Republican candidates, who are Chief Justice Thomas Moyer, Connally's opponent; Judith Lanzinger, a 6th Ohio District Court of Appeals judge who opposes Fuerst; and Justice Terrence O'Donnell, being challenged by O'Neill. Insurance interests have given $677,000 to Republicans and just $3,800 to Democrats, according to Citizen Action. The three Republicans combined to raise, overall, nearly $4 million while the Democrats combined have only $619,000," T.C. Brown, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
3 high court candidates raise more than $100,000 through county parties
COLUMBUS -- "Republican Supreme Court candidates are capitalizing on a campaign finance loophole similar to one that some Ohio legislators have proposed banning because of a Statehouse fundraising scandal. More than $100,000 has been funneled to the GOP trio through county political parties. That tactic not only triples each donor’s maximum possible contribution, it also keeps the donor’s name secret until shortly before the election. Money given to county parties is not subject to monthly public disclosure requirements, as are contributions made directly to the campaigns of Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer, Justice Terrence O’Donnell and Toledo Appeals Court Judge Judith Lanzinger. "It’s time to close some of them," Catherine Turcer, legislative director for Ohio Citizen Action, said of the loopholes in state campaign-finance law. "You might say $100,000 is not a lot of money. But we need to know where that money is coming from." Turcer said it’s still unclear whether judicial accounts or other specialized county committees will be subject to disclosure requirements in campaign reform legislation being reworked in the House," Jon Craig, Columbus Dispatch. Access fee; no link.
COLUMBUS -- Since ’93 scandal, county GOP has revealed more than required
For more than a decade, the Franklin County Republican Party has disclosed all contributions to and expenditures from its headquarters’ operating account. Money from the account pays for day-to-day operations, including staff salaries, postage, utilities and office equipment. Because that money is not supposed to be used to finance election campaigns, state law does not require such disclosure. But the county Republican Party has reported regularly to the county Board of Elections since it was stung 11 years ago by a campaign money-laundering scandal. "Things like this reaffirm to the public that they believe in open government," Catherine R. Turcer, legislative director of Ohio Citizen Action, said of the party’s disclosure, Robert Ruth, Columbus Dispatch. Access fee; no link.
Republicans have cash, Democrats have moxie
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| Judge William O'Neill |
Harris solicited money for Africa tour in July, district's auditor found
COLUMBUS -- "Columbus Public Schools Superintendent Gene Harris solicited $21,000 in donations from vendors doing or hoping to do district construction work for a 26-person tour she led to Africa in July. But when those donations and the fees paid by the travelers -- including Harris' adult son, 10 students, and 14 community members and district employees -- fell short of the trip's $77,600 cost, taxpayers loaned the trip $9,300, district records show. . . .'The whole process sounds like it was very fraught with the possibility of ethical conflicts,' said Catherine Turcer, of the government watchdog group Ohio Citizen Action. 'I'm surprised they didn't think through getting almost all the money from people who want something from the (district) and the taxpayers,'" Bill Bush, Columbus Dispatch. Access fee; no link.
COLUMBUS -- "If money equates importance, then the Ohio Supreme Court races are the most vital elections in Ohio behind the president. While the public may not follow closely, special interests with deep pockets certainly do. The Ohio State Bar Association estimates court candidates, state parties and independent groups will at least match the $13 million spent in 2002, which was tops in the nation. Four seats are up for election in November, although Justice Paul Pfeifer is running unopposed. A key force driving so much money into Ohio Supreme Court races is that Ohio's major economic players stand to gain or lose millions based on the court's decisions. But that's true in all states, said Lawrence Baum, professor of political science at Ohio State University. What makes Ohio unique is how often the court rules 4-3 on major cases. Corporations, insurance companies and the health-care industry are spending millions to back Republican candidates, while most labor unions and trial lawyers line up behind the Democrats," Jim Siegel, Cincinnati Enquirer.
COLUMBUS -- "During the past two election cycles, the members of the Ohio EPA Permit Processing Efficiency Committee contributed over $3.85 million dollars to Ohio statewide and legislative candidates and political party committees. The Permit Processing Efficiency Committee is made up of a group of lobbyists for chemical, manufacturing and energy industries, along with staff for government agencies. Ohio EPA Director Christopher Jones convened this committee in 2001 to propose changes to the way air pollution is regulated in Ohio. Governor Bob Taft, who appointed Christopher Jones to the Ohio EPA, received 10% of the contributions from those interests represented on the committee ($387,086). Unlike other 'stakeholder' processes run by the Ohio EPA, this committee did not include even token representation by members of the community or environmental organizations. The committee has been meeting for three years (2001-2004) and its meetings were not open to the public," Sandy Buchanan, Brandi Whetstone, Ohio Citizen Action, 80 KB doc.- 1999-2002 Contributions to party and caucus committees from members of the Ohio EPA committee, 7 KB xls
- 1999-2002 Organizational contributors represented on the Ohio EPA Permit Processing Commitee, 9.5 KB xls
- 1999-2002 Contributions to statewide and legislative candidates from Ohio EPA committee members, 26 KB xls
- 1999-2002 Contributions from participants of the Ohio EPA permit processing efficiency committee, 5 MB xls
- Proposed Ohio EPA rule changes, 193 KB pdf