GOP rep Tim Grendell screws fundraiser,takes campaign $$ beyond the limits

[Kolesar]

two stories:

GOP fund-raiser accuses candidate of breach of contract

Associated Press


COLUMBUS, Ohio - A Republican Party fund-raiser has filed a lawsuit accusing a state Senate candidate of breach of contract for failing to pay $62,000 in fees, including a $50,000 "win bonus."

...snip...
second story:

In a separate action Thursday, five Senate Democrats called on U.S. Attorney Gregory White, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor William Mason and Blackwell to investigate Grendell and an alleged money-laundering scheme.

The senators said the family of Matt Dolan, son of Cleveland Indians owner Larry Dolan and candidate for Grendell's House seat, gave $55,000 in campaign contributions to the Cuyahoga County Republican Party on Jan. 7.

The county GOP gave Grendell the same amount, in two payments, later that month. The transferred total would have exceeded campaign limits by $32,500 if given directly to Grendell's campaign. Grendell said it was a coincidence that the amounts were the same.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/politics/9746325.htm?1c

[Kolesar]

1. PD:5 legislators want probe of Grendell's campaign money

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1096018390266601.xml

Friday, September 24, 2004
Maggi Martin
Plain Dealer Reporter
Cleveland- Five Democratic legislators stood atop the courthouse steps on Thursday to demand an investigation of Rep. Tim Grendell's campaign financing.

Senate Minority Leader Greg DiDonato and Senators C.J. Prentiss and Dan Brady from Cleveland; Robert Hagan of Youngstown; and Marc Dann of Liberty Township gathered at the Justice Center in Cleveland.

They say Grendell's campaign may have circumvented campaign financing laws by funneling $55,000 in donations through the county party fund.

Grendell, a candidate in Senate District 18, adamantly denied their allegations. "I received two checks and verified they were within limits of what I could accept," he said. "I was never told where the money came from."
........snip......

[Kolesar]

2. PD: Grendell interview on Sisk story

Inside view of political influence
Legislator tells tale of impropriety
Monday, September 20, 2004
Ted Wendling and Sandy Theis
Plain Dealer Bureau
Columbus- Fed up with the corrupting influence of money on politics, Rep. Tim Grendell sat down with a reporter last summer and wove a mesmerizing story about influence-peddling and legislation for sale in the halls of the Ohio Statehouse.

With a tape recorder running, the maverick Republican legislator from Chester Township recounted a lobbyist's boast that his beer and wine association had contributed "80 large" ($80,000) to House Speaker Larry Householder and other House leaders to shoot down Gov. Bob Taft's plan to help erase a budget deficit by raising taxes on beer, wine and cigarettes.

He described conversations with Householder's fund-raiser, Kyle Sisk, about Grendell's interest in running for Ohio attorney general if a snowballing campaign-finance scandal brought down Treasurer Joe Deters, the GOP's preferred candidate.

Sisk, Grendell said, promised him "the keys to the safe" if he signed a fund-raising contract with Sisk & Associates.

"It was explained to me that, if I signed that letter, they would show me how you can take large donations of money and send them to your campaign committee and your issue-advocacy committee and your state candidate fund - that they would show me the road map," Grendell said.
........long article............
See it before it goes to the PD $$$ archives
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/10956727563151.xml

[Kolesar]

3. News-Herald version

from the newsletter of the gop (sarcasm)
http://www.news-herald.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=12995567&BRD=1698&PAG=461&dept_id=21849&rfi=6

Political fund-raiser Kyle Sisk files $62,000 complaint over consulting fees

Political fund-raising consultant Kyle Sisk filed a complaint seeking $62,000 Thursday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court against state Rep. Tim Grendell; Grendell's campaign committee; and John Ralph, Grendell's campaign treasurer.
Separately, Sisk said Thursday during a telephone interview that he provided Grendell with a contract copy on Dec. 16 about "two minutes after he signed it."
"I can't be responsible for him forgetting where he puts things," Sisk said.
Sisk, whose firm, Sisk & Associates, is based in Columbus, also said Grendell signed the contract in front of Sisk and Brett Buerck, another political fund-raising consultant.
Grendell said he didn't receive a contract copy from Sisk until August and only after he made numerous requests.
He called Sisk's claim that he was provided a contract copy on the day it was signed a "flat-out lie."
"When I left, I signed it, and he was supposed to send me a copy of the contract," Grendell said. "At that time, it wasn't a big issue. When it became an issue, that's when we started contacting him."
Grendell said the contract copy he received was eventually sent to him by Sisk's attorney, and Grendell has doubts about whether that is the same document he signed in December.
Sisk said he did not provide Grendell with another contract copy because he wasn't required to do so.
Grendell, R-Chester Township, hired Sisk in December on a retainer basis at $8,000 per month for three months, totaling $24,000, the complaint states.
Additionally, the complaint states Sisk was to be paid a "win bonus" of $50,000 within 90 days after the March 2 primary in which Grendell was running for the Ohio District 18 Senate seat.
"He fully knew what he was signing," Sisk said. "It's a valid contract."
Grendell defeated challenger state Rep. Jamie Callender of Willowick in the March 2 Republican primary.
The complaint states Grendell's campaign committee paid $12,000 of the $24,000 for the monthly retainer, but it has not paid the $50,000 win bonus.
Ohio Secretary of State J.
Kenneth Blackwell's office
previously issued a formal written opinion to Grendell that
"win bonuses or performance bonuses" are reasonable and customary in the political consulting business.

.snip........