Yost questions spending by Householder
Attorney General Dave Yost said Friday he would file a complaint with the Ohio Elections Commission after a disclosure Thursday that former House Speaker Larry Householder used campaign cash to cover legal fees since his July arrest on federal corruption charges.
In a tweet Friday morning, Yost said the spending was illegal and that he was directing staff in his office to pursue a formal complaint.
The post came a day after Householder’s pre-general election campaign finance filing, which included seven expenditures since mid-july totaling more than $1 million to three separate law firms, including $660,000 to Marein & Bradley in Cleveland, the firm currently representing him in federal court.
A message was left with the firm Friday morning by The Dispatch.
Householder and four other Republicans were arrested in July in what federal investigators ranked among the largest corruption scandals in state history, with allegations that the now-former House speaker used dark money from Firstenergy and related entities to support the campaigns of his supporters and block referendum efforts to overturn 2019 nuclear bailout legislation.
Householder’s campaign reported no contributions after July 24, shortly after the federal charges were made public and his arrest.
Up to that point during the reporting period, his campaign received nearly $153,000, adding to a beginning balance approaching $1.4 million.
His campaign reported a balance of about $426,000. Householder continues to serve in the Ohio House. He faces long-shot, write-in candidates in the general election.
The Elections Commission has addressed the use of campaign funds for legal fees in multiple advisory opinions dating back decades.
In a 1987 opinion, the panel determined that ‘a public officeholder may not use campaign funds to pay for legal representation to defend himself or herself against criminal charges or tampering with records, theft in office, falsification and bribery.”
And in a 1996 opinion, members noted “that an expenditure for legal fees to defend against criminal charges is not an appropriate use of campaign funds on behalf of the officeholder.”
The Ohio Campaign Finance Handbook compiled by the secretary of state’s office also notes that the elections commission has “advised that campaign expenditures for legal fees are permissible when the fees are associated with furthering the candidate’s campaign committee or in carrying out the proper duties of a public officeholder.”
Commission Executive Director Philip Richter confirmed, via email Friday morning, that “commission opinions state that using campaign funds for criminal legal representation is improper.”
He was not otherwise aware of the specifics in Householder’s campaign filing.
The charges and their aftermath left questions for how GOP incumbents and candidates for the Ohio House in particular would cover their campaign costs.
Ohio House Republicans shifted their campaign efforts to the GOP’S State Central and Executive Committee State Candidate Fund, which reported nearly $3.8 million in contributions, when other income and in-kind donations are included.
That haul includes $500,000 from the Ohio Republican Senate Campaign Committee and $350,000 in recent weeks from House Speaker Bob Cupp’s campaign committee.
“Under unusually challenging circumstances, I am so grateful for this team effort of our Republican members and candidates to raise this amount of money to protect our majority,” Cupp said in a statement.
“Our members and candidates are working hard in their campaigns every day, and these resources will help them get our message out to voters of progrowth policies that will help Ohioans in every corner of our state.”
The committee spent more than $3.3 million during the reporting period, leaving a balance on hand of about $1.2 million.
The Ohio House Democratic caucus touted its own results Thursday, with more than $2 million in contributions. Aryeh Alex, the caucus’ executive director, said it’s the most raised in a filing period since Democrats last controlled the Ohio House, in 2009-10.
“Voters, supporters and contributors are tired of the Republican culture of corruption in Ohio and they are turning to Democrats to restore trust, integrity and the Ohio Promise,” Alex said in a statement.
“We are running and winning competitive races in gerrymandered districts because voters want representatives who will work for them to address COVID, good paying jobs, public education and affordable health care.”
The House Democratic caucus also spent more than $2 million, leaving a balance of nearly $248,000.
In the other legislative chamber, the Republican Senate Campaign Committee took in more than $2.4 million, including $400,000 each from campaign committees of Sens. Matt Huffman of Lima and Matt Dolan of Chagrin Falls. The caucus spent nearly $2.8 million, leaving a balance of $1.46 million.
Ohio Senate Democrats reported contributions and other income of more than $804,000 and expenditures of about $688,190, leaving a balance of about $346,100.
Among other races:
• Ohio Supreme Court: Justice Judith French reported more than $127,000 in contributions and another $90,000-plus in direct mail, postage and other in-kind contributions, mostly from the Ohio Republican Party.
Her campaign spent more than $1 million during the reporting period, leaving a balance of about $36,669.
Her opponent, former Secretary of State and current Appeals Court Judge Jennifer Brunner, reported contributions of about $250,000, including $100,000 earlier this month from the Ohio Democratic Party.
Her campaign spent nearly $586,000 during the reporting period, leaving a balance of about $282,000.
Justice Sharon Kennedy reported about $142,000 in contributions and more than $71,000 in in-kind contributions, much of it covering postage and mailings by the Ohio GOP.
Her campaign spent more than $1 million, leaving a balance of nearly $310,000.
Her challenger, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge John O’donnell, reported donations of more than $143,000, including about $93,00 from the state Democratic Party earlier this month.
His campaign spent more than $520,500, much of it on advertising, leaving a balance of nearly $146,000.
While Supreme Court races are considered nonpartisan on general election ballots, French and Kennedy are Republicans, and Brunner and O’donnell are Democrats. Victories by the latter would shift control of the state’s high court to Democrats for the first time since 1987.
• Ohio Senate District 16: Incumbent Republican Sen. Stephanie Kunze reported $185,500-plus in contributions, plus an additional $413,500-plus in in-kind contributions, much of it GOP caucus media production and purchase costs.
Her campaign spent more than $155,400, leaving a balance of more than $63,700.
Her Democratic challenger, Crystal Lett, reported about $293,000, including more than $31,000 in recent weeks from the Ohio Senate Democrats and $50,000 in mailings from the Ohio Democratic Party.
Lett’s campaign spent nearly $233,000, leaving a balance of about $35,400.
• Ohio House District 21: In one of the most heated local House races, incumbent Democratic state Rep. Beth Liston reported nearly $126,000 in contributions and $74,900 in in-kind contributions, much of the latter mailers from the state party and House caucus.
Her campaign spent more than $130,700, including nearly $90,000 in donations to other Democrats, leaving a remaining balance of about $93,000.
Her challenger, Republican Mehek Cooke, reported $131,000. Her campaign spent more than $305,000, much of it for media airtime, printing and postage, and digital ads, leaving a balance on hand of nearly $15,000.
• Ohio House District 23: Incumbent state Rep. Laura Lanese, the last Republican representing a Franklin County district, reported getting about $148,000, including a little more than $13,000 from the still-active campaign account of former Congressman Pat Tieberi and $13,000 from major GOP donor Ginni Ragan. Lanese also received more than $112,800 in in-kind contributions for advertising and mailings from the Ohio Republican State and Central Executive Committee.
Lanese’s campaign spent about $124,000, leaving a balance of about $90,000.
Her Democratic challenger, Nancy Day-achauer, reported taking in more than $150,000, including a check for the maximum allowable contribution of $13,292 from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and $10,000 from the Flippable Federal PAC.
Her campaign spent about $111,000, leaving a balance of about $15,000.
h Ohio House District 67: Incumbent Republican Rep. Kris Jordan reported nearly $50,000, counting $13,000-plus from fellow Rep. Jay Edwards’ campaign. Jordan also received $122,000-plus in in-kind contributions, including mailings, postage and ads from the state Gopparty.
His campaign spent more than $15,000, leaving a balance of about $42,000.
His Democratic challenger, Rachael Morocco, reported nearly $69,000 plus nearly $33,000 in in-kind contributions, much of it mailers by the Democratic caucus.
Her campaign spent about $68,000, leaving a balance of about $26,000. mkovac@dispatch.com @Ohiocapitalblog