John Doll, (on left) Democratic candidate for the Ohio Senate, talks with Channel 7 reporter, Jim Otte
John Doll, Democratic candidate for Ohio Senate in the 6th District, at a press conference today, said that his opponent, Jon Husted, contrary to law, does not live in the 6th District. Husted, Speaker of the House, is currently representative for the 37th Ohio House District At the conference, Doll distributed a Cleveland Plain Dealer article published Sunday that reported that Husted’s Kettering home looks abandoned. The article said:
“While Husted won’t say how much time he spends in Kettering, his modest ranch-style house had tightly-drawn blinds and a six-week-old stack of newspapers next to the front door on a recent summer day. Cobwebs were beginning to creep over a front picture window.”
Doll said that it is important for a member of the State Assembly to live within the districts they represent. He said that there is a legal issue concerning Husted’s absence from the district, and there is a practical issue that a representative who does not live in the district loses important contact with his constituents. Doll said that, because of his failure to live in the district, citizens in Husted’s district miss out.
Doll pledges that, if elected, he will continue to live at his present address and will commute to Columbus. He says he feels it is important for a representative to keep a local presence and to keep close contact with local governments and local citizens.
Doll complains that Husted, because he lives in Columbus, has become too remote. Doll feels that a representative should occasionally attend school board meetings or city council meetings within the district and pledges that, if elected, he will do just that.
Doll says that it is widely assumed that, if elected, Husted will not complete his four year term, but, in 2010 will seek to become Ohio’s Secretary of State. Husted has refused to pledge to complete a four year term in the Ohio Senate. Doll says for Husted to seek a term of office with no intention of completing the term is unfair to the voters in the 6th District. Doll pledges that, if elected, he will serve the entire four year term.
So, Hustead doesn’t live in his district, huh. We’ll he’s also got ties to a pro-charter school group that apparently some state tribunal says illegally went around Ohio’s contribution laws to place their cash with politicians.
Found this article in the news:
As All Children Matter moves to court to fight an Ohio Elections Commission ruling saying the group accepted and distributed $870,000 in illegal campaign contributions, local lawmakers who benefited from that money are not yet moving to return the donations.
The commission levied a record $5.2 million fine Thursday against Michigan-based All Children Matter , a pro-charter-school group that worked to elect Republicans across the state in 2006. The commission said the group illegally funneled $870,000 through its political-action committee in Virginia, which has no campaign contribution limits, into Ohio.
All Children donated $71,500 directly to Ohio candidates, including $10,000 to House Speaker Jon Husted , R-Kettering, and $5,000 to Senate President Bill M. Harris, R-Ashland.
“The speaker and our members are under the belief that this decision is being challenged in a court of law,” Husted spokeswoman Karen Stivers said. “If it is ultimately found out that this group didn’t follow state law, then they will return those contributions.”
Harris also will wait before deciding what to do, spokeswoman Maggie Ostrowski said.
Among Franklin County lawmakers, Rep. Kevin Bacon, R-Minerva Park, agreed to return the $5,000 contribution from All Children if the courts rule against the group. Rep. Jim McGregor, R-Gahanna, said yesterday he had not yet heard of the Elections Commission decision. He took a $1,500 donation.
Sen. David Goodman said he will not return All Children ‘s $1,500 contribution. The New Albany Republican, who is running for an appeals-court position, said he emptied his Senate campaign account.
“I didn’t do anything illegal or inappropriate,” he said. “Unless I’m asked, or it’s found that I’m in violation, I feel fine in that I don’t even have the money in my campaign committee anymore.”
The All Children Matter Ohio PAC continues to operate in Ohio, although its attorney, Bill Todd, said it is no longer accepting contributions from the group’s Virginia PAC. The Ohio PAC has raised $20,000 this year.
jsiegel@dispatch.com