Suit says GOP officials in kickback scheme

[Kolesar]

Tim Hagan on the attack! The Ohio GOP is already fighting each other over campaign financing and now this. I hope it keeps the GOOP grassroots in disarray for few months.

Suit says GOP officials in kickback scheme
Tuesday, August 03, 2004
Joan Mazzolini
Plain Dealer Reporter
Ohio's top Republican officials, including the governor, auditor, treasurer and attorney general, have engaged in a scheme to keep political power by trading campaign contributions for unbid public contracts, a lawsuit charges.

"The participants have violated the competitive-bid laws of this state, the prevailing-wage laws of this state, the campaign-finance laws of this state and the various criminal statutes underpinning the state's racketeering laws," says the suit, which was filed Monday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.

In all, 22 top Republican officials and organizations, including the Ohio and Hamilton County Republican parties, are named in the suit, which alleges that they are engaging in "pay to profit." Under this scheme, the suit says, part of the proceeds from inflated unbid contracts are "kicked back" as political contributions to the elected officials.

The suit was filed by Democratic former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Tim Hagan, who will return to the position in January. Hagan ran unsuccessfully against Gov. Bob Taft in the 2002 gubernatorial election. Gregory D. Coleridge, director of the Quaker-related Economic Justice & Empowerment Program of the Northeast Ohio American Friends Service Committee, is also a plaintiff in the case.

"Our goal is simply . . . to hold these people accountable," Hagan said. He added that important information, hidden from the public, will be released in the course of the lawsuit.
........snip...........
Plain Dealer

[Philostopher]

1. Wowser.

Just when you think Hamilton County Republicans are having to use binoculars to look up and see whale shit, they prove they're lower than even I think. Joe Deters is a lizard, I used to throw things at the TV when he was in office in Cincinnati and would come on the news to bloviate about something.

You'll notice all the ones who protest in the article say things like the suit is politically motivated or frivolous, but they're not confident enough of that to say there's nothing to it -- and they don't offer any facts, or argue that Democrats in Ohio do it, too. Wonder if they're really in trouble some more?

I hope so -- though I'll have to go out and buy more popcorn, if Hagan's right.

Wasn't sure Hagan had it in him to kick them when they're already down -- where was this attitude when he was running for office?

[jmknapp]

2. Householder

Speaker Larry Householder is also in the midst of an investigation of kickbacks from political action contractors.

http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/state/9308815.htm

[Kolesar]

3. this fight in the GOP grassroots may ruin Bush's chances in Ohio

The democrats in Ohio are organizing quite nicely for John Kerry. The GOOPs are barely on speaking terms (they are launching lawsuits against each other). Would it not be great if this fight for the GOP governor's nomination costs Bush the election?

[realisticphish]

4. Householde

is a total fuckwad. sorry, but it had to be said (he lives 10 minutes from me :grr:)

:hippie: The Incorrigible Democrat