AP: Ohio Sec. of State Blackwell's Letter Seeks Illegal Contributions

[flpoljunkie]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60019-20...

Ohio Letter Seeks Illegal Contributions

The Associated Press
Saturday, January 8, 2005; 10:34 PM

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The state's chief elections officer, accused of mishandling the presidential vote in Ohio, sent a fund-raising letter for his own 2006 gubernatorial campaign that was accompanied by a request for illegal contributions. A pledge card with the letter from Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, a Republican who co-chaired the Bush-Cheney election campaign in Ohio, said "corporate & personal checks are welcome."

Corporate donations are illegal in Ohio. His spokesman, Carlo LoParo, said Saturday that any corporate donations would be returned.

Blackwell said the request sent to GOP donors and activists was an oversight. His campaign's fund-raising coordinator, Jeff Ledbetter, blamed a printer for the mistake, saying it used a template for an issue committee, which is allowed to accept corporate donations.

<>Blackwell's letter also praises Republicans for helping deliver Ohio to President Bush.

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