Taft event need file no public records

BY DENNIS J. WILLARD
Beacon Journal Columbus Bureau

COLUMBUS: Bob Taft and the Ohio Republican Party avoided a public-records trail of an Oct. 8 event at the Governor's Mansion by running it through a state employee who manages the mansion.

Carl Pernotto, the 25-room home's manager, fronted the Republican Party $883.50 for food and beverages for the reception and was repaid six days later -- a step that in effect erased any trace that the governor was opening up his taxpayersupported home to politically connected contributors.

Heavy-hitting Republican supporters had been asked to become Team Ohio members by giving $25,000 to $50,000 to a secret fund in exchange for a list of entertainment options, including spending quality time with the governor at his residence.

The Republican Party refuses to reveal the members of Team Ohio, the guest list of contributors who attended the Oct. 8 reception, or those invited who did not make it to the mansion.

``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.''

Gary Abernathy, a state party spokesman, and Scott Milburn, a Taft spokesman, deny the event was a fund-raiser. They refer to it as a ``political reception.''

Abernathy said two Team Ohio contributors were at the reception, and others were probably among the dozen people who were invited but did not attend.

Classifying the event

If that happened, the GOP was required by law to file with the Ohio secretary of state's office a list of the event's expenses and of the contributors and amounts given.

Abernathy said some contributions were split between the party's operating fund, which the party does not have to make public, and the candidates fund, but he said the point is moot because the reception was not a fund-raiser.

But the reception was advertised to potential contributors in a calendar of events that accompanied a Sept. 10 letter signed by Taft and sent out by the party to drum up support for Team Ohio.

Tickets also at issue

Milburn said the governor does not know who is on Team Ohio, but no members were in the governor's box at the Purdue game.

On Tuesday, the Ohio Democratic Party filed a complaint with the Ohio Ethics Commission, asking for an investigation into Ohio State's giving Taft eight tickets to each of seven home games.

David Leland, the Democratic Party chairman, contended the reception at the mansion was a fund-raiser, and the governor and Ohio Republican Party failed to properly disclose expenses and in-kind contributions as required by law.

``It raises a lot of issues as to the use of a state facility for fund raising,'' Leland said. ``The whole scheme raises more questions than answers. Why not hire a regular caterer? Maybe it's all perfectly explainable, but they've been operating in dark shrouds and secret accounts.''

Leland would not say whether the party will file a complaint with the Ohio Elections Commission against the GOP for not disclosing fund raising and in-kind contributions, but he did say: ``This week, it's tickets. The residence is next week.''

Public vs. private events

Often at these public events, groups arrange and pay for their own catering and coordinate the events with Pernotto, Milburn said.

Then there are private events in which the Tafts entertain friends at their home. In those cases, the food, beverages and service are paid for with taxpayer dollars, Milburn said.

``The staff's job is to manage events. The Tafts have a mixed blessing of sorts. It's the only home they occupy. When they want to host people at their home, this is where they do it,'' Milburn said.

The ``political reception'' held at the mansion by the Ohio Republican Party was a private event for which taxpayers did not pick up the tab.

Milburn would not answer questions about how often the Tafts have allowed private, outside groups to have private events at the mansion with outside catering. He said that during Taft's administration, the residence has never received a reimbursement check for services provided to outside groups at the mansion.

Reimbursing manager

Abernathy said he thought Pernotto was Taft's caterer, but would need more time to check into why the party went through Pernotto.

Milburn denied a request to interview Pernotto.

``The significant thing to remember about this event is the food served that night wasn't (Department of Administrative Services) stuff. It wasn't food out of the pantry. It wasn't food charged to the residence's line item,'' Milburn said.

Milburn said Pernotto began running the mansion shortly after Taft became governor, but he is not involved in Republican politics.

The Republican Party released a copy of the check, a check stub and the invoice after the Akron Beacon Journal asked who paid for the party.

The Republican Party planned to entertain 30 guests from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 8. They munched on crabmeat, beef and chicken hors d'oeuvres, and cheese and crackers, and drank beer, wine, soda and punch.

Route of check

Six days later, on Oct. 14, the Ohio GOP made out a check for $883.50 payable to the ``Governor's Residence.'' In the memo portion was Carl Pernotto's name.

Milburn said the Republican Party check went into Pernotto's personal checking account -- not the public accounting system -- because the manager, not the governor's residence, was being reimbursed.

Any checks made out to the governor's residence would have to be routed to State Treasurer Joseph Deters' office and to the Department of Administrative Services to record the payment as a source of revenue for the residence.

The accompanying stub indicates the check came from the party's operating account and was used for ``Misc. Donor Expenses Team Ohio.''

Abernathy laughed when asked why the party took six days to pay Pernotto, and said that was comparatively quick.

Dennis J. Willard can be reached at 614-224-1613 or dwillard@qn.net