Money & Politics News
Oct - Dec, 2002

Dec 16: Bricker & Eckler set conference for January 29, 2003:
"How to climb into the public trough"

COLUMBUS -- "At first, I thought that the flyer was some kind of spoof. Cashing in on State Contracts is like Let's Take Advantage of the Government 101. There are $100 bills on the brochure cover and you can get continuing education credit from the Ohio Supreme Court," Catherine Turcer, Ohio Citizen Action.
Dec 9: Risks abound when rushing legislation at sessions' end

COLUMBUS -- "'It's bad policy to shove things right through,' said Catherine Turcer, a policy analyst with Ohio Citizen Action, a public advocacy group.. . . . Perhaps the most worrisome part of so many bills being pushed through is that lawmakers could slip in provisions without the public's knowledge, Turcer said. She said that happened this year when Sen. Jeff Jacobson added to a bill an amendment eliminating the requirement that statewide and legislative candidates file campaign finance reports electronically beginning in January. 'It happened so quickly that it didn't even give people a chance to figure out what the bill said, let alone act on it,' Turcer said," Liz Sidoti, Associated Press.

COLUMBUS -- "Electronic filing safe for now," Jo Ingles, Ohio Public Radio.
Dec 8: Ducks on the run
Ohio legislature rushes to complete lame-duck session. In some cases, one is left to wonder, why the frantic sprint?

COLUMBUS -- "The latest example of trying to slide under the political radar can be credited to state Sen. Jeff Jacobson, the Vandalia Republican who altered a little-watched elections bill to exempt state legislators from a requirement that they file campaign finance reports electronically. . . Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell raised a stink, accurately labelling the amendment ``a step backward.'' At the least, the measure needed some public debate. Gov. Bob Taft threatened a veto. . . Finally, a compromise was reached that would reinstate the electronic filing requirements for legislative and statewide candidates, but delay the effective date for the legislators until March 1, 2004," editorial, Akron Beacon Journal.
Dec 6: Hiding in the shadows

COLUMBUS -- "Threatened with a veto by Gov. Bob Taft, the Ohio General Assembly backed off an attempt to gut the state's campaign finance reporting law. Members of the Senate, creatures who work "in the shadows of the evening," to quote an infuriated Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, are recoiling at the prospect of having to tell the public who their contributors are in any sort of timely fashion. You might be wondering what the fuss is all about. After all, campaign finance reports - the records of who gave how much to whom and what the candidates spent it on - already are public records. All this information piles up in the Secretary of State's office or in the local boards of elections. Well, the fuss is that the legislators, at least a lot of them, don't want this mountain of data to become something that is actually useful to the voters," David Wells, Cincinnati Enquirer.

COLUMBUS -- "Rider on campaign filing rules fails," Julie Carr Smyth, Ted Wendling, Cleveland Plain Dealer.

COLUMBUS -- "Legislators keep ‘lame’ in ‘lame duck’," editorial, Canton Repository.
Dec 5: Lawmakers giving selves break on finance reports

COLUMBUS -- "Amid the chaos of a legislature scrambling to wrap up its two-year session, lawmakers are in the process of quietly exempting themselves and other candidates for state office from filing Internet-ready reports on who's bankrolling their campaigns. 'This is a declaration of war on open government,' said Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell. 'It's totally outrageous that this maneuver would be done in the shadows . . . in the 11th hour of a lame-duck session without public debate.' . . . Catherine Turcer, campaign reform director for the watchdog group Ohio Citizen Action, called the legislative move 'a lame-duck disgrace,'" Darrel Rowland, Columbus Dispatch [no link].

COLUMBUS -- "Campaign finance end-run; Lawmakers shouldn't exempt themselves from electronic filing," "Although some legislative candidates voluntarily filed electronically in the past election, the legislators planned to hold off mandatory filing for themselves to the 2004 election. Now it seems this delay was a case of 'You guys go on ahead; we'll catch up later' -- meaning never. The General Assembly shouldn't get away with it," editorial, Columbus Dispatch [no link].

COLUMBUS -- "Ohio Senate approves more charter schools," Stephen Ohlemacher, Sandy Theis, Cleveland Plain Dealer.

COLUMBUS -- "Campaign reporting change blasted,"Blackwell says Senate move is devious," Debra Jasper, Cincinnati Enquirer.

COLUMBUS -- "Proposal would affect electronic filing law; Blackwell urges rejection of Jacobson idea," Laura A. Bischoff, Dayton Daily News.

COLUMBUS -- "Sneaky Senate move," Jo Ingles, Ohio Public Radio.
Dec 4: Lame duck disgrace

COLUMBUS -- "On December 3, a conference committee amended Sub. H.B. 445 to effectively eliminate the electronic filing requirement for campaign finance reports by statewide and General Assembly candidates. The measure passed the Ohio Senate today. Catherine Turcer, campaign reform director for Ohio Citizen Action said, 'An amendment was snuck into the bill that makes it more difficult for citizens and the press to get contribution information before elections. The Senate provided little time for public comment and no time for thoughtful deliberation,'" release, Catherine Turcer, Ohio Citizen Action.
Dec 3: Sure bet?

AKRON -- "Why are lawmakers determined to place electronic slot machines at race tracks? Ohio Citizen Action reports gambling interests donated $1 million to state pols the past three years," editorial, Akron Beacon Journal.
Dec 2: Gambling interests give $1 million in Ohio
Contributions made to politicians in past three years A flood of campaign money

COLUMBUS -- "Since 1999, all candidates received $349,143, with House Speaker Larry Householder collecting $38,550, Citizen Action reported. Political party committees received $685,926, it said. Even Gov. Bob Taft, a vocal opponent of expanding gambling, received $60,450, the report said," Laura A. Bischoff, Dayton Daily News.
Dec 1: A flood of campaign money

TOLEDO -- "Right out in the open, but with little public attention, Republicans who control state government in Columbus are preparing to open the floodgates to special-interest money in the political process for the first time in nearly 100 years. Their vehicle is Senate Bill 291, being touted as a "reform" measure to require broader disclosure of who gives money to political candidates and issue campaigns. But while the legislation would improve disclosure, it eliminates prohibitions against direct contributions by corporations, labor unions, and other special interests that have stood in Ohio since 1908. In fact, the bill would roll back true reforms enacted over the past 30 years to temper the influence of special interests in state politics by limiting what they can give.," editorial, Toledo Blade.
Nov 27: Slot machine bill comes up a loser
Sponsor plans to resubmit in 2003

COLUMBUS -- "Blessing's pledge to continue his gambling crusade comes as gambling interests continue to pour money into legislative campaigns and political party committees, donating more than $1 million between January 1999 and October 2002, according to a study released yesterday by the government watchdog group Ohio Citizen Action. Current members of the General Assembly received $220,525 from gambling interests. The single largest donation - $500,000 to a Republican Party account -- came from Stanley Fulton, chairman of Anchor Gaming. The Las Vegas-based firm was purchased this summer by International Gaming Technology, the world's top manufacturer of slot machines. IGT's Ohio lobbyists, Paul Tipps and Neil Clark, have donated a total of $82,038, Citizen Action reported," Sandy Theis, Cleveland Plain Dealer.

COLUMBUS -- "Bill permits 'virtual' casinos," Lee Leonard, Darrel Rowland, Columbus Dispatch [no link].
Nov 26: New Citizen Action study:
Gambling contributions total over $1 million

COLUMBUS -- "Ohio Candidates and political party committees received over $1 million from the gambling industry and proponents, according to a report released today by Ohio Citizen Action. Current members of the Ohio General Assembly received a total of $220,525. Speaker of the House Larry Householder alone received $38,550. Political party committees received $685,926. 'It may not be a coincidence that right after the election a video slot machine bill was put on the fast track,' said Catherine Turcer, campaign reform director for Ohio Citizen Action. 'The gambling industry lives up to their name. They invested over $60,000 in vocal opponent Governor Taft,'" Catherine Turcer, Ohio Citizen Action.

Drawing by Angela Oster, Ohio Citizen Action.

Nov 25: Online campaign fund reports prove popular

NEW YORK -- "In the last five years, new technology has pushed data about campaign contributors out of file cabinets into the around-the-clock visibility of the Web. Many states adopted the new electronic filing systems with reservations, but most state election officials reported in a survey released today that they worked well, saved money and were popular with the public. The officials also reported strong satisfaction with the new systems among candidates and the news media. The survey, by the Center of Governmental Studies, a nonprofit research group in Los Angeles, covered officials in 50 states, six cities and six Canadian provinces. "We used to have crowds of reporters waiting for copies," said Lee Daghlian, director of public information for the New York Board of Elections in Albany. "Now, no one shows up here." . . . Mr. Daghlian said the greater disclosure encouraged more accurate reporting. "The public looks at it, so what's filed is of better quality and more honest," he said," Rebecca Fairley Raney, New York Times.
Nov 21: Judicial campaigns:


Ohioans endured the most TV ads WASHINGTON, DC -- "Ohio voters were besieged by a salvo of televised judicial attack ads this year unmatched anywhere else in the nation. A study shows that candidates and special-interest organizations spent at least $5.6 million on television ads in Ohio -- far more than the combined total in the other eight states with TV ads for supreme court races. (Figures compiled by The Dispatch indicate roughly $8 million worth of TV ads were aired in the Ohio Supreme Court races.) The report, released yesterday by the Brennan Center for Justice, reveals that Ohio residents were deluged with 29 commercials that aired more than 13,000 times, compared with eight ads that aired fewer than 3,600 times in Alabama, where the second-highest amount of money for ads was spent," Jack Torry, Columbus Dispatch [no link].
Nov 19: Mud to merit?
Two rounds of Supreme Court races have turned ugly. Is there a better way for Ohio to select its justices? Yes

AKRON -- "Almost everyone recognized it would take something extraordinary to rekindle the notion of merit selection. It has. The past two election seasons have produced such ugly races for the Supreme Court the question now resonates: What can be done? Tom Moyer has taken the lead. He could use some help. Ohio could use a better way to select its justices," editorial, Akron Beacon Journal.
Nov 18: Election 2002 index
Starkly revealing statistics

WASHINGTON, DC -- "In 1997 we started predicting winners in U.S. House races based only on information from previous elections and whether an incumbent was seeking re-election. This year, we developed a simple, one-size-fits-all projection model that made our projections entirely objective. When applied to the 1996-2000 House elections, our model was correct in identifying which party would win in all but one of 930 projections. It also correctly projected the minimum victory margin in more than 97% of races without factoring in anything about incumbent voting behavior, challenger quality or campaign finance. Our model projected 333 winners for the November 2002 elections. Every single projection was accurate, and 98% accurately projected the victory (full report)," Rob Richie, Center for Voting and Democracy.
Nov 11: Decorum, anyone?

CLEVELAND -- "In the wake of yet another election in which sleazy advertisements paid for by self-interested donors distorted the records of candidates and demeaned the reputation of the state's highest court, Moyer has raised a long-overdue idea. As the chief justice said two days after last week's election, 'We have been subjected to the dark side of democracy. The message is a direct attack on our courts. We are telling people that we don't expect judges to be fair and impartial.' Moyer has called for a forum in January where all interested parties would discuss possible changes in the way Supreme Court justices are elected," editorial, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Nov 8: Moyer calls for judicial reforms

COLUMBUS -- "The way Ohio Supreme Court justices are elected is an embarrassment to the state and a discredit to the independence of the courts, Ohio's top judge said yesterday. To begin changing the selection system, Thomas Moyer, chief justice of the Supreme Court, proposed a one-day forum in January for lawmakers, businesses, public interest groups, lawyers and labor. "We have been subjected to the dark side of democracy," Moyer said. "The message is a direct attack on our courts. We are telling people that we don't expect judges to be fair and impartial,"" T. C. Brown, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Nov 4: Doctors give boost to Stratton, O'Connor

COLUMBUS -- "From Oct. 1-16 physicians gave $76,900 to Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton and $53,129 to Maureen O'Connor for their respective Supreme Court election campaigns, according to a political watchdog group. Ohio Citizen Action said more than $5.5 million has been raised by the four Supreme Court candidates this year. The races have been the most fiscally competitive of all the statewide races this year, and are also among the closest in the polls," Marion Star.

CINCINNATI -- "Issue 8 backers again don't file finance report," Barry Horstman, Cincinnati Post.
Nov 3: State voters could tip high court philosophy

COLUMBUS -- "Democrats have portrayed this year’s two Ohio Supreme Court races as a battle of big corporations versus working families. Republicans have presented the election as a virtual referendum on Ohio’s economic health. At stake is the 4-3 philosophical majority on the court that has struck down legislative attempts to limit jury awards in medical malpractice and other lawsuits and declared the state’s system of funding public education unconstitutional. One seat on both sides of that divide will be on the ballot on Nov. 5," Jim Provance, Toledo Blade.

CANTON -- "Modern campaigns demand lots of cash," A.J. Renner, Canton Repository.
Nov 2: Ohio Supreme Court ad draws fire
Labor-funded group targets Stratton, corporate donations

COLUMBUS -- "The television ad wars for the Ohio Supreme Court heated up this week with the creation of a secret, labor-funded organization to do battle with a secret, business-backed committee. The new organization shares much of the same backing and the same treasurer as Citizens for an Independent Court, a political action committee fueled primarily by labor, trial lawyers, and teachers. After spending two years criticizing the Ohio and U.S. Chambers of Commerce for pouring millions of secret donations into ads designed to affect Supreme Court elections, the new group, Consumers for a Fair Court, apparently decided to follow its enemy’s lesson," Jim Provance, Toledo Blade.

COLUMBUS -- "High-court election ads cause stir in legal world," T.C. Brown, Cleveland Plain Dealer.

COLUMBUS -- "Campaign Notebook: Last-minute negative ad condemned; Physicians weigh in," Cincinnati Enquirer.

COLUMBUS -- "Supreme Court's TV ad war raging; Complaints keeping appeals panels busy sorting through mud," Jon Craig, Columbus Dispatch [no link].
Nov 1: Three judge panel rejects complaint 2-1

MIDDLETOWN -- "After review of the evidence and the applicable sections of the Code of Judicial Conduct and the Rules for Government of the Bar, the panel, by a vote of 2-1, finds no probable cause as to any violations of the above-referenced Code or Rules, Judge Waite dissenting." William W. Young, Judge, Twelfth District Court of Appeals, Chairman.
Oct 31: Physicians contribute heavily to Stratton and O’Connor

COLUMBUS -- "From October 1-16, physicians have contributed $76,900 to Justice Evelyn Stratton; $53,129 to Maureen O’Connor; $575 to Tim Black and $0 to Janet Burnside, according to a report released today by Ohio Citizen Action. Physicians and insurance companies contributed almost a million dollars combined to Stratton and O’Connor. In contrast, Black and Burnside’s top contributors are trial lawyers. 'It’s not exactly a shoot out at the O.K. Corral,' said Catherine Turcer, campaign reform director for Ohio Citizen Action. 'But the white coats are definitely putting money into the Supreme Court race and there is a stand off at the Statehouse,'" Catherine Turcer, Ohio Citizen Action.
Full text of study (55 KB doc).

COLUMBUS -- "Insurers back ads touting Stratton," Toledo Blade.
Oct 29: Ohio Citizen Action files grievance:
Misconduct by Ohio Supreme Court Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton

CINCINNATI -- "Under Rule II, Rules for the Government of the Judiciary of Ohio, I respectfully file this grievance on behalf of Ohio Citizen Action regarding misconduct by Ohio Supreme Court Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton. Ohio Citizen Action believes that Justice Stratton has violated the Code of Judicial Conduct and the Rules for the Government of the Bar by virtue of statements she has publicly made about trial lawyers, medical malpractice judgments, and class action lawsuits," Catherine Turcer, Ohio Citizen Action, letter to Lee H. Hildebrandt, Jr., Chief Justice, Ohio Courts of Appeal.

COLUMBUS -- "'Lawsuit' parody flies in under radar of watchdog panel," Toledo Blade.

COLUMBUS -- "Issue group says Stratton against frivolous lawsuits," Jon Craig, Columbus Dispatch [no link].

COLUMBUS -- "Stratton rips 'frivolous' ad, wants it taken off the air," Fritz Wenzel, Toledo Blade.
Oct 28: New political funds draw GOP donors

CINCINNATI -- "Catherine Turcer, campaign finance director of Ohio Citizen Action, said 1995 campaign finance reforms shifted political power to the county parties by allowing them to set up their own State Candidate Funds. But, she said, she believes building the funds through donations from generous out-of-town donors is not what the law had in mind. 'Clearly, the law is not intended to work this way,' she said. 'It is intended for local people to support local parties -- to give $100 or $50, whatever amount they want -- as part of the local community getting involved in the statewide process. I can't see how anybody can say with a straight face that John McConnell, sitting over here in Worthington, is doing grassroots organizing down in Hocking County,'" Julie Carr Smyth, Cleveland Plain Dealer.

CINCINNATI -- "Justice candidates decry influence, take the cash," Dan Horn, Cincinnati Enquirer.

COLUMBUS -- "Group announces second round of contributions," Associated Press.
Oct 27: Another wink at the law

CLEVELAND -- "The latest example of the sieve-like nature of Ohio's laws can be found in the underhanded dealings of a Pennsylvania political action committee. The Concerned Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility, a self-described 'right-wing Republican PAC' based in Valley Forge, showered money around Ohio like New Year's Eve confetti as its funders sought and won at least one lucrative public contract. From 2000 to earlier this year, the PAC contributed at least $58,000 to the Hamilton County Republican Party and other Ohio GOP accounts. During the same period, the two principal contributors to the PAC profited handsomely from a $42 million tobacco settlement contract that they helped to land for another Pennsylvania investment firm with which they had close ties," editorial, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Oct 26: Familiar issue facing city voters

CINCINNATI -- "City Council members' current annual salary is $57,150, creating a $171,450 voluntary limit, an amount substantially below what some major candidates typically spend. Last year, four of the nine winning council candidates surpassed that figure, led by Republican Pat DeWine's $409,715, according to a study released Wednesday by Ohio Citizen Action, a non-partisan watchdog group. The voluntary cap for mayoral candidates would be $342,900, three times that office's $114,300 salary," Barry M. Horstman, Cincinnati Post.

COLUMBUS -- "State bar condemns anti-Stratton ad as maligning judiciary," Toledo Blade.

COLUMBUS -- "A slur against the court; Political ad twists the truth, undermines faith in justice," editorial, Columbus Dispatch [no link].
Oct 25: Republicans ahead in state fund-raising race

COLUMBUS -- "The candidates are fighting to get their messages heard above the roar of a spate of ads paid for by independent campaigns sponsored by business, insurance and trial attorneys, said Catherine Turcer, campaign reform director for Ohio Citizen Action. 'In this particular case, money is the fuel to get their message out,' Turcer said. 'It makes sense for candidates to be more aggressive to look for contributions so they can control their campaigns,'" Julie Carr Smyth, T.C. Brown, Ted Wendling, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Oct 24: Money rules City Council races, almost

CINCINNATI -- "The report also found that contribution limits - in effect for the 1997 and 2003 elections but repealed for 1999 and 2001 - have had little effect on the total amount raised. When individual contributions were capped at $1,000, for example, American Financial Corp. Chairman and Reds owner Carl Lindner curtailed his giving. But 19 other family members made up the difference. 'The Lindners are just an example, and a prominent example, of the ways people can get around limits,' Ms. Turcer said. Republican Chris Monzel, who received $25,000 from Mr. Lindner last year, said the Reds owner gets no favors for his money. 'He gets the peace of mind of knowing that he's giving to candidates who are moving the city in the right direction,' Mr. Monzel said. 'There's no quid pro quo. He's never asked me to vote a certain way on any particular issue,'" Gregory Korte, Cincinnati Enquirer.

CLEVELAND -- "Candidates clash over political ads, malpractice rates" Jim Provance, Toledo Blade.

CLEVELAND -- "Ads focus of judicial debate; Candidates Evelyn Lundberg Stratton and Janet R. Burnside both have been the subject of negative third-party political television advertisements," Jon Craig, Columbus Dispatch [no link].
Oct 23: Top Cincinnati fundraisers and incumbents win

CINCINNATI -- "The top fundraising candidates for Mayor and Cincinnati City Council won in 2001, according to a report released today by Ohio Citizen Action. The winning candidate for Mayor, incumbent Charlie Luken, raised 3.9 times more than his three challengers. All of the incumbent candidates also won in 2001. The average incumbent raised 3.7 times more than the average non-incumbent. 'Contributions don’t necessarily make victory more likely,' said Catherine Turcer, campaign reform director for Ohio Citizen Action. 'Often, favor-seekers contribute to a candidate precisely because their victory at the polls is already a foregone conclusion. They want to curry favor with someone who can reciprocate after the election. Cincinnati’s old campaign financing system, however,' Turcer said, 'is clearly stacked against challengers and less well-funded candidates,'" Catherine Turcer, Patty Lynch, Ohio Citizen Action.

COLUMBUS -- "Montgomery raising money for justice on Supreme Court," T.C. Brown, Cleveland Plain Dealer.

COLUMBUS -- "Supreme Court candidates upset by groups' new TV ads," Jon Craig, Columbus Dispatch [no link].

COLUMBUS -- "Mud, sleaze and lies; Independent groups are taking the low road in high-court campaign," editorial, Columbus Dispatch [no link].

COLUMBUS -- "Ex-Brush worker hammers Stratton over beryllium case," Toledo Blade.

WASHINGTON, DC -- "Ohio absent from election-reform movement," Associated Press.
Oct 22: Analysis of September contributions:
2002 Candidates for Ohio Supreme Court Justice

COLUMBUS -- "The total generated from January 1-September 30, 2002 is more than the total contributions of $3,118,280 to candidates for Ohio Supreme Court during 2000. In 1998, all the candidates for Ohio Supreme Court raised $2,731,288 and in 1996 all the candidates for Ohio Supreme Court raised $1,375,635. From January 1- September 30, 2002 candidates for Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court have more than tripled (3.5 times) the amount raised during all of 1996. Three of the candidates have raised more than the top fundraising candidate in the past three election cycles, Terrence O’Donnell. O’Donnell generated $1,117,044 in 2000," Catherine Turcer, Patty Lynch, Ohio Citizen Action (52 KB doc).
Top organizational contributions (257 KB xls).
Total from each law firm to each candidate (141 KB xls).
All contributions, Jan 1 - Sep 30, 2002 (2.5 MB xls).

COLUMBUS -- "Bar association asks two groups to pull campaign ads," T.C. Brown, Cleveland Plain Dealer.

COLUMBUS -- "Judicial ad war heating up; Bar association condemns third-party spots; parties differ on negative tactics," Jon Craig, Columbus Dispatch, [No link to full text; the Columbus Dispatch now charges $4.95/month for internet access].

COLUMBUS -- "Group suggests link of tort reform, candidate," Toledo Blade.

COLUMBUS -- "County contractors contributed to Boyle," Julie Carr Smyth, Cleveland Plain Dealer.

COLUMBUS -- "Fundraising for Supreme Court candidates breaks records," Bill Cohen, Ohio Public Radio.

COLUMBUS -- "New Supreme Court ad targets Stratton," Rob Schober, Ohio Public Radio.

COLUMBUS -- "Trial lawyers biggest contributors to anti-GOP campaign," John McCarthy, Associated Press.
Oct 21: New twist on issue ads

COLUMBUS -- "Interest groups once again are running television advertisements in Ohio's two contentious Supreme Court races and one spot appears to have a double message -- dump SBC Ameritech and support the Republican candidates. Competition Ohio, a local phone competition advocacy group bankrolled by AT&T, says its only motive is to make sure consumers have options for local phone service, and that it's not endorsing Republicans Lt. Gov. Maureen O'Connor and Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton," Liz Sidoti, Associated Press.
Oct 20: Politics makes mustn't-see TV in most places

COLUMBUS -- "On Tuesday, only WBNS-TV (Channel 10) in Columbus accepted that responsibility by broadcasting the [gubernatorial] debate live. . . By pre-empting Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune and going ad-free for an hour, the station lost money by airing the debate, according to Michael Fiorile, president and chief executive officer of the Dispatch Broadcast Group. Still, Channel 10 plans to broadcast live the second debate between Taft and Hagan on Wednesday and is seeking rights to air the third debate on Nov. 1. . . . something unexpected came from the good television made by Hagan and Taft. Their debate Tuesday was the No. 1-rated show in the 7 p.m. slot in Columbus," Joe Hallett, Columbus Dispatch.
[No link to full text. The Columbus Dispatch now charges $4.95/month for internet access].
Oct 19: Bar association president says he's 'troubled' by campaign ads

COLUMBUS -- "The head of the Ohio State Bar Association says he's worried by the tone that television ads in the campaign for two Ohio Supreme Court seats seem to be taking. Bar association president Stephen Chappelear says a campaign monitoring committee of the association reviewed two such ads currently being shown across the state. It will announce results of the review at a news conference Monday," Akron Beacon Journal.

COLUMBUS -- "Ad on court race angers GOP chief; State bar association reviews third-party group's TV spots that back Democrats," Lee Leonard, Columbus Dispatch [No link to full text. The Columbus Dispatch now charges $4.95/month for internet access].

COLUMBUS -- "More controversial Supreme Court ads this year," Jo Ingles, Ohio Public Radio.

COLUMBUS -- "4-3 majority at stake; Ohio top-court hopefuls raise nearly $5 million," Jim Provance, Toledo Blade.
Oct 16: Ad claims business steers GOP candidates

COLUMBUS -- ""It is the [Justice Alice Robie] Resnick campaign tactics all over again," Justice Stratton said following a joint appearance with her opponent before the Franklin County Consortium, a group of 50 religious, civic, and cultural organizations. 'It’s very ironic that the trial lawyers, who denounced the [business-backed, anti-] Resnick campaign so thoroughly two years ago, have now engaged in the same tactics ...,' she said," Jim Provance, Columbus Dispatch.

COLUMBUS -- "Ads link GOP judicial candidates to big business," T.C. Brown, Cleveland Plain Dealer.

COLUMBUS -- "Group's ad links GOP Supreme Court candidates to big business," Liz Sidoti, Associated Press.
Oct 14: Doctors support GOP candidates for high court

COLUMBUS -- "[Ohio Supreme Court candidates Tim] Black and [Janet] Burnside have received hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from trial attorneys. Doctors have given nearly $300,000 to the two Republicans [Eve Stratton and Maureen O'Connor] as of Aug. 31, according to an Ohio Citizen Action analysis. Physicians have replaced office magazines with political literature, sent out political letters and discussed politics with patients," T.C. Brown, Cleveland Plain Dealer.

COLUMBUS -- "Democrats, GOP debate campaign finance technique," Andrew Welsh-Huggins, Associated Press.
Oct 13: Outside lawyers fatten coffers of attorney general COLUMBUS -- "Catherine Turcer, campaign reform director for Ohio Citizen Action, doesn't buy it. 'Somebody's mother doesn't make these kinds of contributions unless they think there's some benefit,' she said. 'You hate to say it's a quid pro quo, but it looks like pay-to-play politics,'" Ted Wendling, Dave Davis, Cleveland Plain Dealer.

COLUMBUS -- "How donations were tracked," Dave Davis, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Oct 12: House candidates clash in first debate
Ann Womer Benjamin denies any link to ads attacking Tim Ryan

NILE -- "Ryan to Womer Benjamin: 'Why haven't you signed the pledge' not to do negative ads, as prescribed by Ohio Citizen Action? Womer Benjamin answered that she was concerned that Ryan would be the only arbiter of what is a negative ad, and she intends to sign the pledge once that's worked out. Besides, 'Ohio Citizen Action gave me an 'A' on my campaign finance reports. They gave my opponent an 'F',' she said," Stephen Dyer, Akron Beacon Journal.
Oct 11: Shuffling big bucks

CLEVELAND -- "It may be that full and immediate disclosure of all contributions is the only solution. That way, if a candidate is selling access, at least the money trail is clearly marked. It is distasteful that [State Auditor Jim] Petro's front-running campaign has collected so much from legal interests that will undoubtedly seek state contracts. As the man who would be Ohio's top legal guardian, Petro should be held to the highest ethical standard. What he's doing is not illegal. But it is more than a little ironic. And it is wrong," editorial, Cleveland Plain Dealer.

COLUMBUS -- "Panel complaint about Deters' gifts rejected," Associated Press.
Oct 4: Doctors prescribe two justices DAYTON -- ". . . doctors across the state, particularly obstetricians and gynecologists, are passing out literature advising patients to vote for Republicans Evelyn Lundberg Stratton and Maureen O'Connor for the Ohio Supreme Court, hoping to shift the court to be more favorable toward tort-reform laws. . . 'If I were a patient, I would not want political information at my doctor's office,' said Catherine Turcer, campaign reform director for the political watchdog group Ohio Citizen Action. 'You think about being pregnant, and you're not just opening your body, you're opening your mind up as well. As a patient, you’re particularly vulnerable,'" Mary McCarty, Dayton Daily News.
Oct 1: Sixteen firms give $431,000 to Citizens for a Strong Ohio; only $100,000 to High Court candidates

COLUMBUS -- "As this chart shows convincingly, for these firms, corporate contributions to Citizens for a Strong Ohio's advertising campaign have overwhelmed the money they gave directly to candidates," Catherine Turcer, Ohio Citizen Action (16 KB .doc).