10/27/02

Until full-disclosure is at the heart of Ohio's campaign finance laws, dirty tricks and pay-to-play business practices will continue to dominate the political landscape.

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.

The contract was awarded by Ohio Treasurer Joe Deters, whose candidacy, not coincidentally, was a primary beneficiary of Concerned Citizens' largess. That's perfectly legal. All of the money funneled into Hamilton County - Deters' base - and other accounts complied with Ohio election law.

But here's where it gets tricky: Ohio law places a $5,000 ceiling on the amount an individual can contribute to a PAC each year. But last year alone, the two principal contributors to Concerned Citizens - Richard Ireland and Brian McElwee - gave $350,000.

Why?

That's anyone guess. But these two "concerned citizens" from Pennsylvania are in the business of landing as much state work as possible.

Informed belatedly by Secretary of State Ken Blackwell that the PAC had violated contribution laws, the group's lawyer claimed that it was given bad advice about Ohio's laws and was trying to resolve the matter.

But the damage has been done.

Concerned Citizens has already funded its preferred candidates and a firm affiliated with the PAC won the largest single contract connected with Ohio's tobacco settlement. Now the PAC says that it wants to do what's right and will return the illegal contributions.

To whom, you ask? To Ireland and McElwee.

This is nothing more than a shell game. And until Ohio law requires full and immediate disclosure of all campaign contributions, the game will continue.