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Money and Politics News
Oct, 1998 -- Dec, 2000
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| Dec 29, 2000: CINCINNATI -- "Campaign finance reform pushed," Kevin Osborne, Cincinnati Post. "'We're trying to put ordinary citizens back in control of elections, instead of big money,' said William K. Woods, a coalition spokesman. ...Among the groups that have endorsed the effort are the Cincinnati Area League of Women Voters, the Charter Committee, Citizens for Civic Renewal, the NAACP, Cincinnati Women's Political Caucus, Woman's City Club and Ohio Citizen Action." |
| Dec 27, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "2 campaigns for top court could exceed $6 million; Spending, attack ads some of worst in country," T.C. Brown, Cleveland Plain Dealer. "'We expect similar spending in 2002 for the open seats on the court, so we need to get a handle in Ohio on what kind of disclosure we will require,' [Laura] Yeomans, of Citizen Action, said. 'We need to see disclaimers on the ads themselves, so that when voters are bombarded, they know who is trying to influence voters.'" |
| Dec 8, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Ohio group discusses campaign finance reform," Paul E. Kostyu, Canton Repository. "John Green of the University of Akron’s Ray C. Bliss Institute told the audience that 'reform is an ongoing process. You cannot permanently fix it.'
There is no doubt, he said, that Ohio’s campaign laws need reforming. 'There’s room for all kinds of innovation,' he said, 'because you don’t know what’s going to work.'" Photos. |
| Nov 30, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Community Conversation;
Campaign finance reform in Ohio: What are our next steps?" The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, December 7, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm at Bethel United Methodist Church, 1220 Bethel Road, Columbus, (Ohio Citizen Action, League of Women Voters of Ohio). |
| Nov 2, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Court ads mislead, experts
contend; Resnick attacks are called untrue," T.C. Brown, Cleveland Plain Dealer. "'The Chamber of Commerce is obscuring the complete picture of funding
by focusing solely on the money from attorneys,' [Ohio Citizen Action research director Laura] Yeomans said." |
| Oct 31, 2000: CINCINNATI -- "Ohio Citizen Action names Alice Schneider Cincinnati Campaign Finance Project Coordinator." "Working with program director Rachael Belz, she will coordinate local campaign finance reform efforts for Cincinnati city council and mayoral elections." |
Oct 26, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Republican
candidates are the biggest beneficiaries, activist group
says; Cincinnati insurance firm leads
donors in court race," Jim Provance, Toledo Blade. "'The Ohio Supreme Court makes decisions relating
to the liability of businesses, hospitals, insurance companies, and
employers,' said Laura Yeomans, project director [for Ohio Citizen Action]. 'Those interests
are often opposite the interests of victims, patients, consumers,
and employees.' The 10 largest contributors were primarily
political parties, law firms, insurance companies, and
teachers."
"Group gives three candidates 'A's; one 'D'," Associated Press
"Insurer's employees sink dollars into court race," Randy Ludlow, Cincinnati Post.
"Ads still hot topic in race for Supreme Court seat; Gov. Bob Taft called an anti-Resnick spot improper even
though he raised money for it," Alan Johnson and James Bradshaw, Columbus Dispatch. |
| Oct 25, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Report details Ohio Supreme Court contributions:
Three out of four justices receive "A" disclosure grades," release, Laura Yeomans, Ohio Citizen Action. "Candidates Black, Cook and Resnick
received
an excellent grade, "A," for disclosure. Candidate Terrence O'Donnell
received a "D" grade for identifying 67 percent of contributors who gave
more than $100," (full text). |
| Oct 21, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Secret funding advocacy ads just starting, some say," Darrel Rowland, James Bradshaw, Columbus Dispatch. "A decision Thursday by the Ohio Elections Commission upholding the
legality of secret funding for a TV ad bashing Supreme Court Justice Alice
Robie Resnick could have huge ramifications for future elections.
'The scary thing is, you are just seeing the beginning. It's just
building up a head of steam,' said Larry Makinson, executive director of
the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan group that studies
campaign finances nationwide." |
Oct 21, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Hard line softened for Taft," Associated Press. "...Taft was asked: 'So the answer at this
point, is that you have no plans to give to funds that are not going to be
disclosed. You don't have any plans to give money to a campaign or
candidates that are not going to be publicly disclosed. If you can't
follow the money, you are not going to participate?' Taft responded, 'Absolutely not at the state level.'"
"Taft aids secret fund-raiser for anti-Resnick effort," Cleveland Plain Dealer.
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| Oct 20, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "TV ad complaint rejected; Elections
panel won't take action against secret group's
commercial," Dennis J. Willard, Akron Beacon Journal. "Norton Webster, a member appointed as an independent to the
commission, pushed for further action against Hacker and
Stevens, but said the commission does not have the authority
to pursue the secret group because it is not running 'express
advocacy' ads in the campaign.
'The ad we've seen here today is a treacherous ad and I
don't like it,' Webster said, right before making a motion to
dismiss the complaint." |
| Oct 19, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Backers of TV ad implying
Ohio justice is crooked remain cloaked," T.C. Brown, Sandy Theis, Cleveland Plain Dealer. "The $1.7 million ad campaign features Lady Justice peeking from beneath
her blindfold to see which side is giving campaign donations. She sides
with the givers as an announcer asks, "Is justice for sale in Ohio?"" |
| Oct 18, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Group files complaint about anti-Resnick ads," Dayton Daily News. "Kevin Kellems, the governor's spokesman, said Taft makes calls for
Citizens for a Strong Ohio from his campaign office at Ohio Republican
headquarters. 'I know of no plans to back off on such an important Ohio issue,' said
Kellems. 'Gov. Taft would be shirking his responsibility if he didn't make
sure voters are made aware of how important it is to have a supreme court
that interprets the law, instead of one that legislates.'" |
| Oct 18, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Judicial ad blitz criticized as illegal; Ohio group complains to elections commission over
sponsor's funding," Doug Oplinger, Akron Beacon Journal. "[Ohio] Chamber [of Commerce] director Andrew Doehrel, who along with Gov. Bob Taft has
been soliciting contributions for the effort, said he would spend
$10 million if that's what it takes to unseat Resnick." |
| Oct 17, 2000: TOLEDO -- "Bryan, Fries, Kaptur, Slotnick agree to fight fair; Ohio's 9th Congressional District candidates join statewide code of conduct
effort," release, Ohio Citizen Action. "[Laura
Yeomans, research director for Ohio Citizen Action] led negotiations between
the candidates that resulted in the code signing.... Candidates in Ohio's 3rd, 11th, 14th, and 16th districts have also signed
similar codes of conduct." |
| Oct 17, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Gov. Taft making fund-raising calls," William Hershey, Dayton Daily News. "Taft's role in the group's fund-raising efforts drew criticism from
Steve Bennett, a political scientist at the University of Cincinnati in
Taft's hometown.
'These things have a bad smell to them,' said Bennett, a registered
Republican. 'I would think Gov. Taft would have more sense than that.'
While such groups are not illegal, 'it doesn't look good at all,'
Bennett said.
'I thought Bob Taft was kind of squeaky (clean), especially with his
family name, but I guess I was wrong,' Bennett said." |
| Oct 16, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Union slips funds past PAC limits; Education
Association's 3 committees legal; critics say it makes mockery of
law," Dennis J. Willard, Akron Beacon Journal. "Laura Yeomans, an Ohio Citizens Action spokeswoman, said
organizations such as the OEA should be limited to operating one
PAC. 'If one organization can operate multiple PACs, giving at the
maximum contribution limits, contribution limits will have no
meaning,' Yeomans said." |
| Oct 15, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Finance reform a sham; Ohio legislators act
as `banks' and the money keeps rolling in," Dennis J. Willard, Akron Beacon Journal. "As safe as an offshore haven, as legal as a loophole big enough
to accommodate a Brink's truck, legislators acting as 'banks' have
been collecting smaller, more frequent contributions from many of
the same political depositors that once weighed in with five- and
six-figure checks. 'You don't do these kinds of shenanigans unless you're trying to
maintain the influence of the wealthy,' said Ohio Citizen Action
researcher Laura Yeomans." |
| Oct 9, 2000: CINCINNATI -- "Cincinnati TV stations air candidate segments," release, Ohio Citizen Action. "Three television stations in Cincinnati have pledged to devote five minutes of airtime every night to candidate issue forums during the month prior to the November 7 election, Ohio Citizen Action announced today." |
| Oct 6, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "WCMH-TV provides time for candidates and issues," release, Ohio Citizen Action. "NBC 4 (WCMH-TV) is the first television station in Ohio’s capital to pledge to devote five minutes of airtime to candidates or political issues." |
Sep 21, 2000: CANTON -- "Candidates
for Congress to play fair," Kristopher Barry Weiss, Canton Repository. "Candidates in five Ohio races signed in 1998, including Kenneth J.
Blackwell and Charleta Tavares, who squared off in the race for secretary
of state, said Brad Rourke, the institute's vice president of public
policy. The pledge resulted in Blackwell pulling radio ads in which Tavares'
name was mispronounced and in Tavares recalling fliers that misrepresented
an endorsement by The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer, Rourke said."
COLUMBUS -- "4 more agree to play nice
during campaign season," Darrel Rowland, Columbus Dispatch. |
| Sep 20, 2000: CANTON -- "Graef, Regula, Shetler, Smith agree to fight fair; Ohio's 16th Congressional District candidates join statewide code of conduct effort," release, Ohio Project on Campaign Conduct. "Highlights of the candidates' code include a pledge to conduct their campaigns with 'dignity and respect'; a promise to refrain from conduct that 'belittles or demeans the electoral process;' and an agreement that volunteers and supporters also understand that such tactics are unacceptable." |
| Sep 20, 2000: CINCINNATI -- "Job Opening: Cincinnati Campaign Finance Project Coordinator," Ohio Citizen Action. "The coordinator will work with a coalition of individuals and organizations interested in reform, coordinate volunteer work on an initiative, fundraise, and meet with political party officials and allies to encourage reform. The project coordinator will involve Ohio Citizen Action members and community volunteers in reform campaigns. She or he will work with the media, participate in research, and coordinate activities on campaign finance reform in Cincinnati." |
| Sep 14, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Website shows local TV political ad income," release, Ohio Citizen Action. "In the first seven months of this year, local television stations in the nation's top 75 media markets took in $211.6 million from 286,737 political ads, according to a report released today by the Alliance." |
| Sep 12, 2000: YOUNGSTOWN -- "WKBN Channel 27 News is Youngstown’s first station to pledge to air candidate segments; Ohio a leader in improving TV political coverage," release, Ohio Citizen Action, Alliance for Better Campaigns. "WCPO and WLWT in Cincinnati, WEWS in
Cleveland, as well as WKBN, have pledged to air these nightly segments. Only Florida has more stations participating." |
| Aug 10, 2000: AKRON -- "Sawyer, Keith, McDaniel, Wood sign campaign conduct pledge; Ohio's 14th Congressional District candidates join statewide code of
conduct effort," release, Ohio Project on Campaign Conduct. "Candidates in Ohio's 3rd and 11th districts have also signed similar codes
of conduct. The Project on Campaign Conduct is seeking to negotiate such
agreements in every Congressional district throughout the pilot states of
Ohio and Washington." |
| Jul 20, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Commission to review elections complaint; Campaign reform group accuses nonprofit group of partisan
politics in state Supreme Court races," Doug Oplinger, Akron Beacon Journal. "Common Cause has introduced an April 20 letter from the Ohio
Contractors Association to its members urging them to contribute to
Citizens for a Strong Ohio and the campaigns of Republican Deborah
Cook, who is running for re-election, and appeals Judge Terrence
O'Donnell, who is attempting to unseat Justice Alice Robie Resnick,
a Democrat." |
| Jul 11, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "More candidates pledge
to lead clean campaigns," Darrel Rowland, Columbus Dispatch. "The drive to bring clean political campaigns to Ohio already is ahead
of the pace of two years ago." |
| Jul 7, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "A Spirited Campaign for Ohio Court Puts Judges on New Terrain," William Glaberson, New York Times. "'People around the country are watching the Ohio judicial race,' said Seth S. Anderson, director of the Hunter Center for Judicial Selection at the American Judicature Society, a nonpartisan group. 'It typifies the
intense involvement of interest groups in judicial races that has been
growing for the last 15 years but that could reach its apex in Ohio this
year.' " |
| Jul 7, 2000: CLEVELAND -- "Congressional candidates sign ethical pledge in Ohio's 11th District," release, photo, Laura Yeomans, Catherine Turcer, Brad Rourke. "The 11th District is the second Ohio district where candidates have
jointly signed an ethical code of conduct this year. Congressman Tony Hall
and Natural Law candidate Regina Burch have also signed." |
| Jun 13, 2000: CLEVELAND -- "Ohio Citizen Action applauds Cleveland's WEWS TV-5," Catherine Turcer, release. "WEWS’ average sound bite length was 44.54 seconds, as opposed
to WJW’s average of 9.72 seconds." |
| Jun 11, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Negative campaigns
harm system," Roger K. Lowe, Columbus Dispatch. "If we're told time and again in television attack ads or mailers that
each candidate is a liar, cheat and crook, why would we respect or trust
the winner as an elected officeholder?" |
| Jun 10, 2000: CLEVELAND -- "Supporters question candidates’ ethics," Brad Rourke, Institute for Global Ethics, op-ed, Cleveland Plain Dealer. "They are ready to reward candidates who stick to the high road. They
believe voluntary codes of conduct governing campaigns are a good idea: 61
percent support the concept. Almost half, 48 percent, report that they are
more likely to give money to a candidate who signs such a code." |
Jun 9, 2000: WASHINGTON, DC -- "Political donors fed
up, poll finds; Six in 10 support codes of conduct," Roger K. Lowe, Columbus Dispatch. "On Tuesday, Rep. Tony P. Hall, D- Dayton, signed a code of conduct with
Regina Burch, who is running against him as a candidate of the Natural Law
Policy, he said."
WASHINGTON, DC -- "Poll: Even political donors oppose negative campaign ads," Bill Cohen, Ohio Public Radio
WASHINGTON, DC -- "Survey: Donors Disdainful of Campaign Finance," Derek Willis, Washington Post |
| Jun 7, 2000: DAYTON -- "Election-year politics spark ad campaign," editorial, Dayton Daily News. "More likely, the Michigan chamber's ad is aimed at helping the Ohio
Chamber of Commerce in its mega-bucks campaign to oust Supreme Court
Justice Alice Robie Resnick." |
| Jun 5, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Elected officials won't release records of private phones," Associated Press. "Laura Yeomans, research director for the consumer advocacy
organization Ohio Citizen Action, said public officials should
conduct only public business in their offices. 'The more they mix work and fund raising, the more likely
they are to get into trouble,' she said." |
| Jun 5, 2000: NEW YORK -- "Fierce campaigns signal a new era for state
courts," William Glaberson, New York Times. "In Ohio this year, more than $5 million and possibly as much as $12
million may be spent in a battle for a seat on the State Supreme
Court. The campaign, one of the most bitterly contested in the
country, could shift the ideological balance of the court. Twenty
years ago, a campaign for the same court cost $100,000." |
| Jun 5, 2000: TOLEDO -- "Campaigns take darker spin on Web," Fritz Wenzel, column, Toledo Blade. "On a very different note, the Ohio Project on Campaign Conduct,
which opened its operations two years ago to encourage candidates
for political offices to run issue-oriented campaigns and stay away
from personal innuendo and distortions, has received funding to
continue its efforts this election cycle... The institute will once again work with Ohio Citizen
Action, the largest nonprofit, nonpartisan consumer and
environmental organization in Ohio, as well as the League of Women
Voters of Ohio Education Fund, a nonpartisan organization that
encourages and facilitates citizen participation in government." |
| Jun 2, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Chances for campaign finance reform slim in election year ," Andrew Welsh-Huggins, Associated Press. "[Ohio Secretary of State] Blackwell has a 'handshake agreement' with Davidson and Senate
President Richard Finan that his own campaign finance proposals will
be reviewed this fall and acted on next year, spokesman Carlo LoParo
said. " |
| May 30, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "
Progress nil on campaign-finance reform," Darrel Rowland, Columbus Dispatch. "But [Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth] Blackwell has won a promise from Finan and House Speaker Jo Ann
Davidson, R-Reynoldsburg, that a legislative panel will be appointed to
study the secretary of state's proposals. However, no move to change the
law would come until the next legislative session starts in 2001." |
| May 24, 2000: WASHINGTON, DC -- "Political Ad Frenzy; Broadcast Industry Has Vested Interest in Maintaining the
Status Quo," John Martin, ABC News. "What most voters may not realize is that the
big TV networks, once the recipients of hundreds of millions of dollars
for national advertising, no longer command the political marketplace.
Candidates want to be able to ignore North Dakota and blanket Southern
California, and they do not want to pay for both. The networks may earn no
more than $50,000,000 this election cycle." |
| May 15, 2000: WASHINGTON, DC -- "Flood of secret money erodes election limits", Ruth Marcus, Washington Post. "Voters often have little or no sense of who is trying to influence them
because the groups have deliberately innocuous names that give little clue
to their actual identity. Trevor Potter, a GOP election lawyer and former FEC chairman, said the
1970s post-Watergate system is crumbling. 'Essentially now there are no
limits for supporting federal candidates,' Potter said. 'And there's no
disclosure if you want to avoid it.'" |
May 13, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "AFL-CIO ditches proposal for ballot; Labor tried to help patients, women", James F. McCarty, Cleveland Plain Dealer. "[State AFL-CIO President William A.] Burga said he also scuttled a ballot initiative that, if passed, would have removed partisan politics from the redistricting process."
COLUMBUS -- "Union drops campaign
for three ballot issues," Columbus Dispatch. |
| May 6, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Taft event need file no public records; GOP
reimburses official at mansion for setting up gathering of
donors," Dennis Willard, Akron Beacon Journal. "'It really sounds like they are taking elaborate steps to keep
from having to report the source of the money,' said Larry Makinson
of the Center for Responsive Politics in Washington, D.C. 'All this
does is raise the suspicion that they are trying to cover up the
identities of the people at the fund-raiser. I wonder if this was an
accountant's or an attorney's idea.'" |
| Apr 30, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "AFL-CIO focuses on equity; Petitions cover right to sue HMO, equal pay and legislative districts," Nathan Crabbe, Akron Beacon Journal. "It will take 335,422 signatures -- 10 percent of the vote in the
1998 gubernatorial elections -- before Aug. 9 to get the issues on
the November ballot. The language of the initiatives is still being
tweaked and must be approved by the attorney general, but
speculation is already swirling as to how voters will react to the
full plate of proposals." |
| Apr 28, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Taft faces questions on ethics; Panel appears ready to investigate free OSU tickets and whether governor provided them for donors," Dennis Willard, Akron Beacon Journal. "The ethics commission's problem is that at times Taft's guests may have been part of Team Ohio -- a secretive core of conservative contributors who give up to $50,000 in unreportable and untraceable funds to the state Republican Party." |
| Apr 28, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Party leaders bicker over fund disclosure," Darrel Rowland, Columbus Dispatch. |
| Apr 27, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Drawing the lines: Plan aims to depoliticize reapportionment," editorial, Columbus Dispatch. "The idea may be to take the politics out of reapportionment, but it will take a lot of politicking to get there." |
| Apr 27, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Taft's free tickets may violate ethics law," Joe Hallett, Columbus Dispatch. "Taft and his predecessors have had a major influence on how much money OSU receives from the state. In his proposed fiscal 2001 capital budget pending in the Ohio House, Taft recommended that OSU receive $102 million in state construction money." |
Apr 23, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Parties jumping through loopholes," Darrel Rowland, Columbus Dispatch. "Proponents of the 1995 reforms said the public benefits because the big money now goes to the party instead of to candidates. Laura Yeomans of Ohio Citizen Action, who has spent hours with computerized state campaign-money data, disagreed. 'Candidates are not insulated from pressure because they participate in party fund-raising and because they are not fools,' she said. 'They know where the funding they received through the political party originally came from.'"
COLUMBUS -- "Fit for a king: Team Ohio contribution disclosures are a must," Joe Hallett, Columbus Dispatch. |
Apr 22, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Handling of party accounts criticized," T.C. Brown, Cleveland Plain Dealer. "An Ohio GOP account at the center of a fund-raising dispute is little more than a 'secret slush fund' and a magnet for big money with no accountability, state Democrats said yesterday. Based on Federal Election Commission records, the Democrats’ tally shows that since 1998 Ohio Republicans have transferred $2.4 million from the party’s operating account to federally regulated accounts."
COLUMBUS -- "Loophole lets political parties protect donors," Jim Provance, Toledo Blade. |
| Apr 22, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Chief justice’s remarks draw colleague’s fire," T.C. Brown, Cleveland Plain Dealer. " The code of judicial conduct, or canons, prohibits judges from publicly endorsing or opposing candidates for another public office. 'It appears to me [Moyer] has violated this canon,' [Justice Alice Robie] Resnick said yesterday. 'I haven’t made up my mind about a complaint. I’m contemplating it. I certainly did not expect this, coming from any of my colleagues.'" |
Apr 21, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "GOP money flap heats up," Joe Hallett, Darrel Rowland, Columbus Dispatch. "Statewide GOP officeholders ... sought to distance themselves from the 'Team Ohio' fund-raising plan in which Gov. Bob Taft offered seats in his box for an Ohio State football game, a reception at the Governor's Residence and other perks in exchange for $25,000 donations to the Ohio GOP."
COLUMBUS -- "Team Ohio officials to stop access offer," T.C. Brown, Sandy Theis, Cleveland Plain Dealer. "At the urging of Gov. Bob Taft - who was stung by his participation in the fund raising - the practice of promising big donors receptions at the Governor’s Mansion and other perks involving state property has ended, Whatman said. 'I don’t believe we ever had a reception at the governor’s residence before. Last fall was our first - and our last,' he said."
COLUMBUS -- "Access at a big price," Randy Ludlow, Cincinnati Post. "...in one of those I-did-it-but-didn't-know moments that
afflicted his 1998 campaign, Taft said he was unaware of an
attachment to the letter that effectively put him and other
statewide office holders up for sale." |
Apr 20, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Top-ranked Republicans admit role in fund-raisers," Sandy Theis, T.C. Brown, Cleveland Plain Dealer. "Because the donors are secret, it is unclear whether Montgomery, Blackwell or Deters helped collect money from people who were legally banned from giving to their candidate campaigns at the time."
COLUMBUS -- "Taft rues mailing to solicit donors; Governor voices misgivings about 'Team Ohio' letters," Alan Johnson, Joe Hallett, Columbus Dispatch. "Unlike Team Ohio, Taft's campaign is limited to accepting contributions of $2,500 per election cycle from individuals and political action committees. However, that didn't stop some large contributions from flowing into Taft's coffers. For example, Michael Boich, a Dublin coal marketer, and members of his family gave Taft $50,000 over 10 months. Eight Boich family members donated the maximum $2,500 apiece on Dec. 24, 1998, and 12 family members and Boich executives chipped in $30,000 on Oct. 20, 1999."
COLUMBUS -- "Close the loophole; Political parties should disclose all funds," editorial, Columbus Dispatch. "...it's time to change the rules. Allowing large amounts of political cash to go undisclosed feeds public suspicion and cynicism and drives the demand for more campaign-contribution limits, which only encourage creative attempts to get around the law."
TOLEDO -- "Disband 'Team Ohio'," editorial, Toledo Blade. "While Mr. Bennett insists that Lincoln Bedroom sleepovers and governor's mansion receptions are an 'apples and watermelons' comparison, there is increasing - and bipartisan - agreement that both are the bitter fruit of the system of legalized bribery we know as campaign financing." |
Apr 19, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Taft agrees to plugging fund-raising loophole," Sandy Theis, Cleveland Plain Dealer. "Amid a torrent of criticism over his fund-raising practices, Gov. Bob Taft yesterday joined those who want to plug a loophole that allows political parties to raise unlimited money without disclosing donors' names."
COLUMBUS -- "Taft faces questions on gifts to GOP," Jim Provance, Toledo Blade. "The governor, however, is not calling for public disclosure of funds already raised through the party's Team Ohio program, nor does he vow not to participate in the future under the current law."
COLUMBUS -- "Taft among those favoring reports of political gifts; Key Republicans jump on bandwagon for full disclosure," Joe Hallett, Columbus Dispatch."Stung by revelations about his offer to exchange access for big donations to the Ohio GOP, Gov. Bob Taft yesterday called for the full disclosure of all contributions to political parties." |
| Apr 18, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "GOP bucks Blackwell on disclosure; Party won't release records of governor's solicitations," Joe Hallett, Alan Johnson, Columbus Dispatch. "'By law, we don't have to,' said Gary Abernathy, state [Republican] party spokesman." |
| Apr 15, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Taft used state facilities to raise funds for GOP," Alan Johnson, Joe Hallett, Columbus Dispatch. "In a fund-raising scheme reminiscent of President Clinton's Lincoln Bedroom scandal, Gov. Bob Taft dangled a party at the Governor's Residence and seats in his Ohio Stadium box to lure campaign contributions for a secret fund of the Ohio Republican Party." |
| Apr 15, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Democrats don't file finance reports," Darrel Rowland, Joe Hallett, Columbus Dispatch. "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." |
| Feb 29, 2000: SAN FRANCISCO -- "Election-free TV," Sean Elder, Salon, "The Big 3 networks are giving the candidates about 30 seconds of air time an evening. Hell, most ads are longer than that." |
| Feb 18, 2000: AKRON -- "Campaign rules force donors to break up gifts," Robert Vickers, Cleveland Plain Dealer. "'What we essentially have in Ohio in 1998 -- the first election since the reform was enacted -- was a squeeze toward the middle,' said John C. Green, director of the [Ray C. Bliss] institute." |
| Feb 16, 2000: AKRON -- "The impact of the 1995 Ohio campaign finance reforms: an analysis of the patterns of donations and donors, 1998 and 1994," and "The next steps: Options for campaign finance reform in Ohio," Dr. John Green, Director, Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics, University of Akron, February 16, 2000. |
| Feb 15, 2000: SCOTTSDALE, AZ -- "Clean Elections Act tossed," Robbie Sherwood, Arizona Republic. "'We would advise those candidates out there gathering (qualifying contributions) to make alternative meal-ticket plans because they are not going to be able to dine at the public trough,' said Tim Lawless, president of the chamber, which registers more than 60 lobbyists and is a major campaign contributor." |
| Feb 15, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Majority of court rulings favor campaign donors," T.C. Brown, Cleveland Plain Dealer |
| Feb 14, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Term limits bring wholesale changes into legislatures," Francis X. Clines, New York Times. "I'm all for [term limits] right now. But I think in '04 when I'm term-limited I'll probably be scraping my
nails across the desk as they drag
me out." -- Ohio House Assistant Majority Leader Larry Householder.
|
Feb 8, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Money matches court's decision; Contributors had lawsuit-limit stake," Michael Hawthorne, Cincinnati Enquirer
COLUMBUS -- "Family backs court justice; Big spenders related to Deborah Cook may be strength in re-election campaign later this year," Nathan Crabbe, Akron Beacon Journal |
| Feb 7, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "1993-1998 campaign contributions to justices of the Ohio Supreme Court," report, release, Ohio Citizen Action |
| Feb 7, 2000: WASHINGTON, DC -- "How The Little Guy Gets Crunched; When powerful interests shower Washington with millions in campaign contributions, they often get what they want. But it's ordinary citizens and firms that pay the price--and most of them never see it coming," Donald Bartlett and James Steele, TIME |
| Feb 3, 2000: WASHINGTON, DC -- "Dubious Democracy: 1998," exhaustively catalogues how non-competitive House elections have been in states around the nation over the past two cycles of redistricting. Includes state-by-state analyses. The report blames "a winner-take-all electoral system that turns natural majorities into no-choice elections and typically partisan methods of redistricting that allow legislators to craft districts 'safe' from competition." Center for Voting and Democracy |
| Feb 2, 2000: COLUMBUS -- Testimony on H.J.R. 13, redistricting, Ohio House Technology and Elections Committee, Catherine Turcer, Campaign Finance Reform Director, Ohio Citizen Action |
| Feb 2, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Ohio Citizen Action joins national groups in opposing CBS/Viacom merger; Groups cite CBS’s failure to offer candidate air time in campaign 2000," release, Ohio Citizen Action, Alliance for Better Campaigns. |
| Jan 26, 2000: COLUMBUS -- Testimony in support of H.J.R. 13, redistricting, Ohio House Technology and Elections Committee, Kenneth Blackwell, Ohio Secretary of State; Tom Smith, Director for Public Policy, Ohio Council of Churches |
| Jan 26, 2000: COLUMBUS -- Testimony in support of H.B. 525, campaign finance, Ohio House Ethics and Standards Committee, Catherine Turcer, Campaign Finance Reform Director, Ohio Citizen Action; Ray Cadwallader, Executive Director, Common Cause |
| Jan 24, 2000: DOVER -- "TV stations pledge more candidate news," Laura Yeomans, Consumer Watch |
| Jan 22, 2000: BOSTON, MA -- "Firms seek to buy their own laws," Frank Phillips, Boston Globe |
| Jan 16, 2000: COLUMBUS -- "Political deal keeps peace; GOP power struggle averted in Ohio House; Insiders say two men who will share speaker's post met behind closed doors with lobbyist, contributor," Dennis J. Willard, Akron Beacon Journal |
Jan 14, 2000: CINCINNATI -- "Scripps to give candidates free TV time; Political parties cheer company's move," Cincinnati Enquirer
COLUMBUS -- "Alliance for Better Campaigns, Ohio Citizen Action applaud
WCPO, WEWS, E.W. Scripps Company for committing to air nightly candidate segments in month before
election," release |
| Jan 12, 2000: COLUMBUS -- Sponsor, League of Women Voters testimony on H.J.R. 13, Ohio redistricting, Ohio House Technology and Elections Committee |
| Jan 4, 2000: COLUMBUS -- Gov. Taft and reform leaders celebrate the signing of the new Voters' Right-to-Know law. Photos. |
| Dec 22, 1999: COLUMBUS -- Governor Bob Taft signs into law the Voters' Right-to-Know bill (H.B. 119) on electronic filing of campaign finance reports. |
| Dec 16, 1999: COLUMBUS -- "Voters don't like negative campaigns," Darrel Rowland, Columbus Dispatch |
| Dec 12-15, 1999: COLUMBUS -- "Whose Choice?," an examination of the influence of 'words, litigation and money' over Ohio education policy, Dennis Willard, Doug Oplinger, Akron Beacon Journal |
| Dec 11, 1999: CINCINNATI -- "Portune makes new pitch for reform; Those who meet limit would get public funds," Howard Wilkinson, Cincinnati Enquirer |
| Dec 11, 1999: COLUMBUS -- "School finance bill highlights
rivalry inside the GOP," Sandy Theis, Cleveland Plain Dealer |
| Dec 11, 1999: COLUMBUS -- "House Passes Amstutz's Online Campaign Finance Filing Bill," Dan Trevas, Wooster Daily Record |
Dec 10, 1999: COLUMBUS -- "House OKs campaign finance bill;
State measure requires electronic filing of reports, starting in January 2001," Joy Heselton, Nathan Crabbe, Akron Beacon Journal;
COLUMBUS -- "Lawmakers agree to electronic disclosure of finance reports," Lee Leonard, Columbus Dispatch |
| Dec 8, 1999: AKRON -- "Been here before: Now can Akron discuss real campaign-finance reform?," editorial, Akron Beacon Journal |
| Dec 4, 1999: AKRON -- "Judge says donation caps illegal; Campaign finance rules OK'd by Akron voters struck down. Limits had been set at $100, $300," Gregory Korte, Akron Beacon Journal |
| Nov 29, 1999: COLUMBUS -- "A few clicks away -- Campaign reports should be put on Net," editorial, Columbus Dispatch |
Nov 23, 1999: COLUMBUS -- "Broker climbs to top of election donors list," Sandy Theis, Cleveland Plain Dealer;
COLUMBUS -- "State's limits fail to slow political-donation steamroller," Darrel Rowland, Columbus Dispatch;
COLUMBUS -- "Campaign funds chase continues unabated; Group questions reform law's bite," Michael Hawthorne, Cincinnati Enquirer;
COLUMBUS -- "Campaign cash adds up; State Sen. Roy Ray gets nearly $500,000 in donations in last election season, Ohio Citizen Action study finds," Joy Heselton, Akron Beacon Journal |
Nov 22, 1999: COLUMBUS -- Website, study document $80 million
to campaigns, 1997-1998; release
COLUMBUS -- "Candidates, parties collect $80 million," John McCarthy, Associated Press |
| Nov 12, 1999: COLUMBUS -- "Ohio campaign reports may go online by 2003; Senate panel approves plan for electronic filing by legislative candidates," Jon Craig, Akron Beacon Journal |
| Nov 11, 1999: COLUMBUS -- "Senate amendment would force lawmakers to do as they say," James Bradshaw, Columbus Dispatch |
Nov 10, 1999: COLUMBUS -- "Testimony on H.B. 119, Ohio Senate State and Local Government
and Veteran Affairs Committee," Laura Yeomans, Research Director, Ohio Citizen Action
CLEVELAND -- "Campaign Finance," editorial, Cleveland Plain Dealer
AKRON -- "The disclosure test: Follow the money is the first principle of campaign reform," editorial, Akron Beacon Journal
AKRON -- "What good is disclosure if few can see the campaign reports?," Laura Yeomans, op-ed, Akron Beacon Journal |
| Oct 25, 1999: COLUMBUS -- Action alert: Ohio House exempts legislators from new electronic disclosure law; How you can help reverse it in the Ohio Senate |
| Oct 20, 1999: COLUMBUS -- Hearing, Ohio Senate State and Local Government Affairs Committee on Voters Right-to-Know bill, H.B. 119; testimony by Laura Yeomans, Research Director, Ohio Citizen Action, Tom Smith, Director of Public Policy, Ohio Council of Churches, William Woods, Cincinnati Coalition for Campaign Finance Reform and Jack Shaner, Public Affairs Manager, Ohio Environmental Council. |
| Oct 13, 1999: COLUMBUS -- Hearing, Ohio Senate State and Local Government Affairs Committee on Voters Right-to-Know bill, H.B. 119; testimony by sponsor Rep. Ron Amstutz (Wooster). |
| Oct 25, 1999: COLUMBUS -- Voters Right-to-Know bill, H.B. 119 organizational endorsements |
| Sep 13, 1999: DAYTON -- "Give Ohio voters campaign data," editorial, Dayton Daily News |
| Sep 13, 1999: COLUMBUS -- "Term limits creator still likes the idea," Thomas Suddes, Cleveland Plain Dealer |
| Sep 8, 1999: COLUMBUS -- "Retreat causes a divide," William Hershey and Mike Wagner, Dayton Daily News |
| Jul 26, 1999: TOLEDO -- "A vote against openness," editorial, Toledo Blade |
| Jul 25, 1999: COLUMBUS -- "Campaign finance -- State lawmakers should do as they say," editorial, Columbus Dispatch |
| Jul 19, 1999: CINCINNATI -- "Hypocrisy in the Ohio House," editorial, Cincinnati Post |
| Jul 15, 1999: WASHINGTON, D.C. -- "Group Wants Ethics Panel to Probe Traficant," Damon Chappie, Roll Call |
| Jul 13, 1999: DAYTON -- "Jacobson does disservice to Ohioans; Requiring candidate to file electronic financial reports help voters track money," Barbara Holmes, Oped, Dayton Daily News |
| Jul 7, 1999: AKRON -- Ohio Citizen Action files ethics charge against U.S. Congressman James Traficant |
| Jun 15, 1999: COLUMBUS -- "Two trade barbs on finance," Michael Wagner, Dayton Daily News |
| Jun 14, 1999: DAYTON -- Editorial: "Put funding lists on 'Net during race," Dayton Daily News |
| Jun 13, 1999: AKRON -- "A little knife music; Legislature to Ohioans: Do as we say, not as we do," editorial, Akron Beacon Journal |
| Jun 10, 1999: COLUMBUS -- "House OKs bill on campaign finance reporting; Ohio legislators remove selves from requirement that filings be electronic," James C. Benton, Akron Beacon Journal |
| Jun 9, 1999: COLUMBUS -- Ohio House passes electronic filing bill, H.B. 119, with one major amendment. |
| Jun 7, 1999: COLUMBUS -- Ohio House sets Tuesday, June 8, floor vote on electronic filing bill, H.B. 119. Associated Press |
| Jun 1, 1999: CINCINNATI -- "Voters say don't amend term limits," according to the Ohio Poll, sponsored by the University of Cincinnati. |
| May 26, 1999: COLUMBUS -- The Ohio House Technology and Elections Committee votes out the internet filing bill, H.B. 119, with no significant changes |
| May 24, 1999: COLUMBUS -- Ohio political parties are making progress in disclosure, according to a new study released today by Ohio Citizen Action |
| May 9, 1999: COLUMBUS -- Electric utility investments are paying off at the State House, according to a new study released today by Ohio Citizen Action, "Electric utility contributions to Ohio candidates and political parties." Columbus Dispatch coverage |
| Apr 26, 1999: COLUMBUS -- Ohio Citizen Action releases its 1998 Disclosure Report Card: Which Ohio Candidates Properly Disclose Contributions? Coverage by Associated Press (first and second articles), Akron Beacon Journal, and Columbus Dispatch |
| Apr 14, 1999: COLUMBUS -- The Ohio House Technology and Elections Committee hears testimony in favor of H.B. 119, the Voters Right-to-Know bill, from Bob Bennett, Chair, Ohio Republican Party (full text); John Green, Director, Ray Bliss Insitute, University of Akron; Ray Cadwallader, Director, Common Cause - Ohio; and Laura Yeomans, Research Director, Ohio Citizen Action (full text) |
| Mar 24, 1999: COLUMBUS -- Frank Deaner, Executive Director of the Ohio Newspaper Association, testifies in favor of H.B. 119, the Voters Right-to-Know bill, before the Ohio House Technology and Elections Committee. Full text |
| Mar 20, 1999: CINCINNATI -- Ohio Citizen Action and a Cincinnati-area coalition host a day-long conference on campaign finance reform, at Mt Auburn Presbyterian Church in Clifton. Among the speakers are Lawrence Hansen, vice president of the Joyce Foundation in Chicago, and author of Heartland Voices: Americans Talk About Money, Politics and Reform; and Manhattan attorney Charles Juntikka, a leader in reforming New York City's campaign finance law. The coalition also includes the Citizens Policy Center, Citizens for Civic Renewal, League of Women Voters, Woman's City Club, Dollars and Democracy Project and the National Civic League. Cincinnati Post article. For more information, email Rachael Belz |
| Mar 17, 1999: COLUMBUS -- Rep. Ron Amstutz gives sponsor testimony for the Voters' Right to Know Bill before the Ohio House Elections and Technology Committee |
| Feb 11, 1999: NATIONWIDE -- The Case of [Ohio State Senator] Roy Ray: Conflict or Not?, airs on public radio stations carrying American Radio Works, produced by Minnesota Public Radio |
| Feb 1, 1999: CLEVELAND -- Ohio Citizen Action names Chris Castle as its new Campaign Finance Reform Director. Castle comes from Rural Action in Trimble, Athens County, where he was Director of Community Organizing and Development. He holds a 1996 Master of Public Administration degree from Ohio University in Athens. Beginning February 15, Chris Castle can be reached at Ohio Citizen Action's Columbus office, 3400 North High Street #430, Columbus 43202 (614) 263-4111 |
| Feb 1, 1999: WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Public i, published by the Center for Public Integity, issues study on state legislature financial disclosure rules. See nationwide findings, or Ohio results |
| Jan 21, 1999: COLUMBUS -- Rep. Ron Amstutz introduces H.B. 199, a new "voter's right to know" bill requiring campaign finance disclosure on the internet. (Press release, Associated Press wire story, full text of bill) |
| Jan 15, 1999: COLUMBUS -- "Watchdogs say campaign law fell short; Parties shift cash around," Sandy Theis, Cincinnati Enquirer |
| Jan 14, 1999: COLUMBUS -- Ohio Citizen Action sponsors a campaign finance reform seminar with Michael Malbin, author of The Day After Reform, Director, Legislative and Political Studies, Rockefeller Institute of Government; John Green, Director, Ray Bliss Institute, University of Akron; and New York attorney and reformer Charles Juntikka. See coverage in Cincinnati Enquirer, Columbus Dispatch, and Associated Press. Excerpts from pre-seminar press conference. |
| Dec 2, 1998: COLUMBUS -- The Ohio House Ethics and Elections Committee hears sponsor and proponent testimony on H.B. 846. |
| Nov 19, 1998: COLUMBUS -- Columbus Dispatch editorial favors H.B. 846 |
| Nov 10, 1998: COLUMBUS -- State Rep. Ron Amstutz introduces H.B. 846, legislation requiring candidate disclosure on the Internet |
| Nov 2, 1998: COLUMBUS -- "Small donors make less impact on campaigns; Gifts under $200 dwarfed by big donations," Michael Hawthorne, Cincinnati Enquirer |
| Oct 28, 1998: STATEWIDE -- Latest update of 1998 Ohio statewide candidate campaign contributions and expenditures |
| Oct 27, 1998: CLEVELAND -- Ohio Citizen Action, the League of Women Voters and the Downtown Organization of Residents hold a training workshop on campaign finance and electronic disclosure at the Embassy Suites Hotel. A roomful of participants discussed how specific contributions information can be pulled from the new on-line databases, how it can be used as an organizing tool, and the prospects for campaign reform in Ohio |
| Oct, 1998: COLUMBUS -- Ohio Secretary of State (now Governor) Bob Taft opens an on-line Ohio campaign finance database |
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