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ORGANIZATION ISSUES MONEY/POLITICS NEWS INDEX |
Broker climbs to top of election donors list |
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November 23, 1999 By Sandy Theis COLUMBUS -- Securities broker Montford "Monte" Will emerged as the No. 1 giver in last year's Ohio elections, donating $385,575, mostly to Democratic candidates and causes. Will, who heads Dublin-based Everen Securities, is a newcomer to the list of big donors. He outpaced well-known givers such as Les Wexner, chairman of The Limited; David Brennan of the Brennan Industrial Group; and Cincinnati financier Carl Lindner. Ohio Citizen Action, which issued a detailed analysis of campaign contributions for the 1997-1998 election, said Will and other big donors were trying to buy access to Ohio's policymakers. "This is about trying to influence government," said Laura Yeomans, research director for Ohio Citizen Action. "Other Ohioans feel so shut out of access to Ohio government officials that they chain themselves to government buildings in order to get a meeting with politicians," she said, referring to a recent Statehouse protest staged by a disability-rights group. Will, who could not be reached for comment yesterday, gave most of his money -$345,000 - to the Ohio Democratic Party, making a long-shot bet that Democrats would win one or more of the statewide races. He and his firm's lobbyist - Democrat Tom Fries - also helped raise money for John Donofrio, the Democratic candidate for state treasurer. Democrats lost all five statewide contests - including the treasurer's race, won by Joseph Deters, a Cincinnati Republican who received $2,500 from Will, according to Citizen Action. Less than one month after Deters took office, Will hired Republican lobbyist Andy Futey, who served as a member of Deters' kitchen cabinet. Yeomans said Will told her he did not give money with the hope of securing state work. But Yeomans said, "Money buys access." Like many other big donors, Will is employed by a business that relies on state contracts. Everen is a major Midwestern brokerage firm with offices in 28 states, including Ohio. In the past, both Everen and its predecessor, Kemper Securities, were among the top tier of money managers for the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation and the state treasurer's office. Both BWC and the treasurer's office have been controlled by Republicans. It was not clear whether Everen's business was affected by either Will's donations or Futey's lobbying. State officials said yesterday that contractual information about the firm was not readily available. Futey said Will did not hire him because of his connections to Deters or other Republicans in power. Futey also disputed Citizen Action's contention that Will is attempting to buy influence. "What the state looks for [when hiring a brokerage firm- is whether or not the company brings something to the table," Futey said. "They compare the track records of the firms, they look at their results." All told, candidates and political parties collected about $80 million in campaign contributions. Yeomans said Ohio should consider placing a limit on the total contributions individuals can make in one year. Ohio law limits individual donations to $2,500 per candidate per election cycle, but does not preclude an individual from donating $2,500 to numerous candidates. There is no limit on the amount of money individuals can donate to a political party's general fund. |