Follow the money

Compare contributions to the candidates for governor, attorney general and justice of the Ohio Supreme Court. This analysis examines both monetary and in-kind contributions from January 1, 2005 to October 4, 2006.

Methodology

The Ohio Citizen Action Education Fund analyzed contributions from January 1 through October 4, 2006, to candidates for governor, attorney general and justice of the Ohio Supreme Court.   Totals include contributions from political action committees (PACs), labor unions, and individuals.

The database is based on the filings of judicial candidates for Ohio Supreme Court, available in computerized form from the Ohio Secretary of State.  These filings were submitted electronically by the candidate committees to the Secretary of State and are available on-line at www.state.oh.us/sos.  The candidate committees  were given an opportunity to review their candidate campaign finance profiles.

To identify the employers of contributors, the Ohio Citizen Action Education Fund used the following:

1. Databases of architects, doctors, dentists, funeral directors and certified public accountants registered to do business in Ohio from the Ohio Division of Administrative Services,
2. A database from the Ohio Supreme Court of attorneys in Ohio,
3. A list of lobbyists in Ohio from the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee,
4. A list of contributors to Political Action Committees in Ohio,
5. Database of physicians provided by the American Medical Association
6. Database of attorneys provided by Martindale-Hubble.

For each candidate the total amount in this campaign finance database includes the following:

• Contributions received
• Contributions received at a social or fundraising event
• In-kind contributions received
• Contributions the candidate gave to his own campaign