Kucinich still mum about Syria, Russia connections

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dennis Kucinich continued Saturday to refuse to answer questions about whether he's received money from individuals and groups linked to Syrian dictator Bashir Assad or the Kremlin.

His refusal comes as the Huffington Post reported that in 2015 and 2016, Elie Khawam, a member of a political party that is fighting alongside Assad in the Syrian civil war, gave the Kucinich Action PAC $6,000. His brother, Basam Khawam, gave Kucinich $2,000 during Kucinich's 2012 presidential run, the news site reported.

Kucinich, a former congressman, has made repeated visits to Syria since the start of the war in 2011. He also has questioned whether Assad has used chemical weapons and has called on the United States and other Western countries to end their involvement in the war.

On the campaign trail, he's refused to call the Syrian dictator a bad actor.

On Tuesday, pursuant to an order from the Ohio Ethics Commission, Kucinich disclosed that he received a $20,000 fee last year from a pro-Syria group to speak in London at a conference sympathetic to the Assad regime.

Kucinich also has struggled during the campaign to support statements made on Fox News — where he was a paid contributor — that the investigation into Russia's 2016 election interference was evidence of a "deep state" attempt to undermine President Donald Trump.

In addition, Kucinich has made repeated appearances on Russia Today and Sputnik, outlets controlled Kucinich by the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Assad's staunchest ally in the Syrian civil war. On Saturday, Kucinich's spokesman continued to ignore questions about whether the candidate has received money from people or groups linked to Putin or Assad.

Saturday's "report underscores the importance of Dennis Kucinich finally coming clean and revealing to Ohioans what he’s been doing, and who’s been paying him, since he left Congress" in 2013, Mike Gwin, a spokesman for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Richard Cordray said.

Another Democratic candidate, Ohio Sen. Joe Schiavoni, also has called on Kucinich to come clean. A fourth candidate, former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Bill O'Neill, said the issue is irrelevant to the governor's race.