GOP hits Dem candidate over fundraiser’s 22-year-old record
The Ohio Republican Party slammed secretary of state candidate Kathleen Clyde on Tuesday, saying a county official who co-hosted a fundraiser for her was convicted of domestic violence — more than 22 years ago, in 1995.
Republican officials declined, however, to criticize President Donald Trump, who has boasted on tape about grabbing women’s genitalia and who has been accused by numerous women of sexual assault.
Stark County Clerk of Courts Louis P. Giavasis was one of 12 hosts of a Jan. 18 fundraiser for Clyde, a Democratic state representative from Kent. Her campaign finance reports list a $50 contribution from him the next day.
The state Republican Party issued a news release — titled “Kathleen Clyde puts dollars over domestic violence” — with a link to a court docket indicating that a Louis P. Giavasis was arrested for domestic violence, a firstdegree misdemeanor, in April 1995 and pleaded guilty the following July. A phone message left at the Stark County clerk of courts office was not returned Tuesday afternoon.
“Why did Kathleen Clyde allow a convicted domestic abuser to host a fundraiser for her?” the GOP release said. “Will she give Louis Giavasis’ money back and denounce him?”
Asked if it was fair to attack Clyde over a decades-old conviction against a person so peripheral to her campaign, Ohio Republican Party Executive Director Rob Secaur said it was.
“Does Kathleen Clyde want to tell me what the statute of limitations is for beating your wife?” he said.
Secaur didn’t answer directly when asked if he believed candidates should conduct criminal-background checks for everybody who co-hosts fundraisers for them. He also said that statements by and accusations against Trump — the head of his party — are entirely different from what he’s attacking Clyde for.
“Convictions are different altogether from allegations,” Secaur said.
The Ohio Democratic Party swung back at Clyde’s opponent and his party, criticizing them over comments made last month at a Republican function by Rep. Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, and Sen. Matt Huffman, R-Lima, that were criticized as denigrating to women. The lawmakers have since apologized.
“State Sen. Frank LaRose and his buddies at the Ohio Republican Party refuse to denounce the culture of sexual harassment they’ve let run rampant in the Statehouse and repudiate Bill Seitz and Matt Huffman for disparaging female lawmakers with vulgar and offensive language just weeks ago,” party spokesman Dave DeWitt said in an email.
“In fact, Frank LaRose still boasts about their endorsements on his website. No wonder they’re looking for a distraction.”
The campaign of LaRose, R-Hudson, wouldn’t comment on the GOP attack on his opponent.
“Frank helped shepherd bipartisan redistricting reform through the legislature this week with overwhelming support from both chambers of the Ohio General Assembly,” his spokeswoman, Brittany Warner, said in a statement. “He is focused on encouraging citizen participation in our elections process, modernizing Ohio’s elections equipment and protecting the integrity of the ballot box.”