Party won't release records of governor's solicitations

Tuesday, April 18, 2000

By Joe Hallett and Alan Johnson
Dispatch Public Affairs Reporters

Gov. Bob Taft's use of the Governor's Residence and his seats at Ohio State football games to entice contributions to the state GOP prompted Ohio's chief elections officer yesterday to renew his call for full disclosure of all political donations.

Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell -- like Taft, a Republican -- said political parties should be required to report contributions to their operating funds so that money from big donors cannot be hidden from the public.

"It is the sort of sunshine that I think would accelerate the growth of public confidence in the process,'' Blackwell said in an interview.

But the Ohio GOP refused yesterday to turn over records of its operating fund, where thousands of dollars collected from Taft's solicitation were deposited.

"By law, we don't have to,'' said Gary Abernathy, state party spokesman.

Meanwhile, Taft assured his senior staff yesterday that he advocates the highest ethical standards in reaction to the fund-raising scheme uncovered last week by The Dispatch.

The governor opened his weekly staff meeting with a statement about his commitment to clean government, acknowledging that "The appearance of this was not good,'' according to Brian K. Hicks, the governor's chief of staff.

In a letter dated Sept. 10, Taft invited Republicans to join "Team Ohio,'' an exclusive club requiring an annual commitment of $25,000 to the state GOP. A $50,000 annual commitment enrolled contributors in the "Team Ohio Advisory Council.''

An attachment to the fund-raising letter dangled a 1999 calendar of "exclusive'' perks to Team Ohio members. Among them: a reception Oct. 8 at the Governors' Residence hosted by Gov. Taft and first lady Hope Taft for contributors of $25,000 and a seat in the governor's box at Ohio Stadium for the Oct. 9 Ohio State- Purdue football game for those contributing $50,000.

Government watchdog groups compared the fund-raising scheme to President Clinton's Lincoln Bedroom scandal and decried it as a crass selling of access to Taft in exchange for contributions to the Republican Party.

After The Dispatch questioned the governor's office about the solicitation Thursday, Taft said it would not happen again.

Hicks said that neither he nor the governor had seen the list of perquisites attached to the letter signed by Taft.

Ohio GOP Chairman Robert T. Bennett refused to release the names of Team Ohio members, but the party said it hoped to expand the current membership of $25,000 contributors to 30 from 15 this year. Most of the Team Ohio money went into an operating fund, which can receive unlimited contributions that do not have to be reported publicly.

According to Ohio law, all contributions a party receives for campaigns and candidates must be reported, but money donated to operate the party is exempt. However, the more contributions a party gets for its operating account, the more is freed for GOP campaigns.

"Any time the chairman has talked about full disclosure, he's always talked about it in reference to campaigns and candidates,'' said Abernathy, referring to Bennett's frequent advocacy for full disclosure of political contributions.

Sen. Mike Dewine, a Cedarville Republican, said yesterday that names of all contributors to a party should be listed.

As a candidate for secretary of state in 1998, Blackwell proposed a package of campaign-finance reforms, calling for "full disclosure of all contributions to political parties regardless of size, including those received into party operating accounts.''

While acknowledging that the Ohio GOP is within legal bounds by refusing to reveal Team Ohio contributions to the operating fund, Blackwell said "the practice has escaped the spirit of full disclosure, the type of full disclosure that would create the transparence necessary to build public confidence in the legitimacy of the whole political process.''

Blackwell said his office has reviewed Ohio campaign-finance laws and those in 27 states that restrict campaign solicitations and contributions during legislative sessions. He said he will send results of his research, along with recommendations, to the General Assembly for potential legislation.

Blackwell said his recommendation will include reporting of party operating funds.

Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David J. Leland said he sent a copy of The Dispatch story uncovering the fund-raising scheme as "a heads up'' to the Nashville campaign headquarters of Vice President Al Gore.

"How do Gov. Taft and the Republicans criticize the president and vice president about any of their fund-raising activities with this staring them in the face, when they're selling seats in the governor's box for Buckeye football games at $50,000 a pop?'' Leland said.