Saturday, April 15, 2000

By Darrel Rowland and Joe Hallett
Dispatch Public Affairs Reporters

Discovering an apparent new loophole in state law, Ohio Senate Democrats refused to file campaign- finance reports due yesterday.

"We read the law, and it's our interpretation that we don't have to,'' said Mike Cook, spokesman for Senate Democrats.

They might be right.

Unless the Democrats' legislative campaign committee -- known as a caucus -- either raised or spent at least $1,000 to influence the March 7 primary election, they are exempt from the requirement, said Carlo LoParo, spokesman for Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell.

But this appears to be the first time anyone has taken advantage of the loophole, LoParo said. Previously, candidates and campaign committees filed reports, which detail contributions and expenditures, if they met the $1,000 threshold.

Cook said the Democrats "definitely'' raised more than $1,000, but the cash is slated entirely for the November general election.

That means the Democratic caucus doesn't have to show its financial hand until Oct. 26, when pre- general election reports are due. Blackwell plans to scrutinize the report for transactions related to the primary, LoParo said. If he finds any, the matter will be referred to the Ohio Elections Commission.

Meanwhile, reports showed that Republicans David Robinson and Jim Hughes spent $25.54 per vote in the primary for the 27th Ohio House District.

Robinson spent $263,470, in a failed bid to retain the House seat. He was appointed to it earlier this year to fulfill the unexpired term of E.J. Thomas.

Robinson, who lost to Hughes by 2,878 votes, spent $47.45 per vote, and was left with a campaign debt of $39,011 owed to a Majority Strategies, a Columbus consulting firm.

Hughes spent $93,749, or $11.12 per vote, and was left with a $28,000 debt to his parents, Lawrence and Ruth Hughes.

The Robinson-Hughes battle caused a rift within the Franklin County Republican Party. Even after the party had endorsed Hughes, the House Republican Caucus appointed Robinson to the vacancy. House Speaker Jo Ann Davidson, chairwoman of the Franklin County Republican Central Committee, defied the party endorsement by supporting Robinson.

Davidson contributed $2,500 to Robinson from her campaign fund, while her caucus loaned Robinson $26,500. State Rep. Bill Harris, R-Ashland, who is to succeed Davidson as speaker, contributed $2,500 to Hughes. Meanwhile, state Rep. Larry Householder, R-Glenford, who is to succeed Harris as speaker in 2002, donated $2,500 to Robinson.

But the endorsement and generous support from the party carried the election for Hughes. He received at least $78,250 worth of donated services from the Franklin County party, and $35,186 from the Ohio Republican Party. Hughes, an assistant Franklin County prosecutor, also received $2,500 from the campaign fund of his boss, Prosecutor Ron O'Brien, and $2,500 from Roger W. Tracy, a member of the State Personnel Board of Review.

Hughes, who finished the primary with $1,441 on hand, will face Democrat Mark Hatch in the Nov. 7 election. Hatch, a member of the Columbus Board of Education, had $11,446 in the bank after the primary.

In other races, Larry Flowers, the Madison Township fire chief, won the GOP primary for the the 24th House District despite being outspent roughly 4-to-1 by Westerville Mayor Stewart L. Flaherty.

Flowers, endorsed by the Franklin County GOP, spent $28,481 in the primary, compared with $123,415 spent by Flaherty, who loaned his own campaign $23,000. Flowers reported receiving $37,000 worth of in- kind contributions, but failed to identify the contributors.

In the Republican race for the 28th House District, Geoffrey C. Smith, the Franklin County GOP's endorsed candidate, won the seat by outspending banker Greg J. Vergamini. Smith, a lobbyist, spent $109,729 in the primary and received $44,750 worth of in-kind support from the county GOP for TV advertising. Vergamini spent $60,087 in the primary, and his campaign showed an outstanding debt of $25,907.

The Ohio House Republican caucus ended the primary campaign with a balance of nearly $1.2 million.

The House Democratic caucus reported a balance of $105,154, fattened by an $11,000 contribution from the campaign committee of House Minority Leader Jack Ford of Toledo.