Money in Politics Ohio

Dayton completed the records request within two months

COLUMBUS — “Yost released the results Monday to celebrate Sunshine Week, a national effort advocating open government and freedom of information. The auditor’s office is not seeking any legal action against any of the cities, rather the exercise was intended to evaluate the process at the city level.

‘These are the public’s documents,’ Yost said. ‘The government belongs to the people. The documents belong to the people.’

Yost said if his office has a hard time collecting “routine documents,” the average citizen won’t be able to do it.

Yost also said public records battles could be costly for local governments and suggested policy makers look for ways besides costly litigation to hold accountable public entities for their records responsibilities.

‘Although public records law in Ohio is alive it’s not particularly well,’ Yost said.” — Jackie Borchardt, Springfield Sun-News

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This is Sunshine Week which is an initiative to promote a national dialogue about the need for open government, open records and to promote your right to know.   http://www.sunshineweek.org/

Columbus lawmaker indicted on bribery, other charges

After his indictment today, state Rep. W. Carlton Weddington, D-Columbus, is booked by a Franklin County sheriff's deputy. Chris Russell | Dispatch

COLUMBUS “State Rep. W. Carlton Weddington of Columbus surrendered to the FBI today and resigned his seat in the legislature after he became what officials say is the first sitting state lawmaker in Ohio indicted on a bribery charge in 100 years.

The FBI set up an elaborate undercover sting against Weddington, creating a phony businesses entity that spent more than $16,000 to send the two-term Democrat on lavish, all-expenses-paid trips to Miami and Napa Valley, Calif., plus cash and campaign contributions. In exchange, Weddington agreed to introduce legislation on the entity’s behalf, said Edward Hanko, FBI special agent in charge of the Cincinnati field office.

Weddington also failed to publicly disclose the trips and contributions on his campaign-finance filings and his financial-disclosure report, authorities allege.” — Jim Siegel, Columbus Dispatch

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Jimmy Dimora, left, and his attorney William Whitaker, outside the U.S. District Courthouse in Akron.

CLEVELAND — “Since FBI agents fanned across Cuyahoga County in July 2008, raiding the homes and offices of public officials and contractors, Catherine Turcer has served as the voice of citizen outrage.

The legislative director of watchdog group Ohio Citizen Action, Turcer has spoken against corruption and in favor of reform. She’s been the go-to person for reporters looking to put in perspective all the schemes and the costs to taxpayers.

And now that former county Commissioner Jimmy Dimora has been led away in chains, convicted of racketeering and other corruption-related crimes?

‘It’s a huge sigh of relief for the voters in Cuyahoga County,’ Turcer said Friday. ‘It shows the system works. It provides some closure to the story.’

…’The price of democracy is vigilance, she said. ‘We all need to be more vigilant. We need as many eyes as possible on the government.’” — Laura Johnston, Cleveland Plain Dealer

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High court decision ensures public access to property records

COLUMBUS — “A recent Ohio Supreme Court ruling smacking down Cuyahoga County’s attempt to charge extortionate fees for providing public information isn’t a victory just for real-estate professionals and wonky journalists who might be interested in copious mortgage data. It is a victory for the public, against a highhanded attempt to effectively disregard public-records law.

Obtaining public information that already exists in electronic form should be simple and routine, and it was in the Cuyahoga County recorder’s office until 2010….

That’s when Recorder Lillian Greene informed two California real estate-information companies that her office no longer would provide a CD of each day’s transactions for $50. Instead, she said she would provide only paper copies of the documents, at the premium price of $2 per page.” The Columbus Dispatch.

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COLUMBUS — “The Ohio Clean Energy Initiative hopes to gain voter approval for a constitutional amendment that would provide $13 billion — $1.3 billion a year over 10 years — in state bonds to pay for “solar, wind, biomass, battery technology and geothermal facilities” and other clean energy projects, according to documents.

The funds would be used for research and development and to support companies establishing facilities in the state. The initiative would be administered by a new limited liability company registered in the state of Delaware….

But 10 environmental groups and Ohio Citizen Action’s Money in Politics Project say they aren’t backing the petition effort or the proposed constitutional amendment, saying that it would provide billions of dollars in state funds to an out-of-state company to control, with provisions for $65 million in annual management fees.” Marc Kovac, Dix Capital Bureau through the Wooster Daily Record.

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COLUMBUS — “I respond to the Wednesday Dispatch editorial ‘In the dark,’ which illustrated how technical details can make a difference.

It explained that the Ohio Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors failed to hold an open-to-the-public meeting while deliberating before making a decision. As a result, the board had to pay a fine of some $26,500.

That is not exactly what really happened. Board members held a closed meeting and the taxpayers had to pay a fine. In the wording of the editorial, readers, some of whom are legislators, were not reminded of the misguided way Ohio punishes those who violate the open-meetings law.” Bill Buckel, The Columbus Dispatch.

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Public officials should know and understand Ohio’s public-meetings law

COLUMBUS — “A public board and its public attorney should have known better than to debate a public matter behind closed doors, a breech that costs the state money and public trust.

On Feb. 16, Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Mark Serrott smacked the Ohio Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors with nearly $26,000 in legal fees and court costs for violating Ohio’s open-meetings law. This reimburses the Triplett Chapel of Peace, which also won a $500 civil penalty in the case….

Those who sit on the state board are expected to know state open-meetings and open-records laws. The rules aren’t overly complicated: Boards can meet privately to discuss lawsuits or pending litigation, real-estate transactions or personnel matters. Otherwise, discussions should take place in open session.” The Columbus Dispatch.

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Closing arguments this morning, and jury deliberations will begin

AKRON — “Today, federal prosecutors and defense attorneys go straight to the seven men and five women who make up the jury in the federal racketeering case against Jimmy Dimora.”  M.L. Schultze, WKSU.
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