Renacci's campaign defends contribution
Spokesman calls allegations ‘reckless and false’
Jim Renacci
COLUMBUS – The gubernatorial campaign for Congressman Jim Renacci has responded to The Post about a Columbus Dispatch article alleging an improper funds transfer from his federal campaign into his campaign for governor.
An Aug. 2 Dispatch article said it discovered Renacci “improperly contributed the maximum $12,707 to his 2018 campaign for the Republican gubernatorial nomination,” which the Dispatch claimed violates state election laws prohibiting the transfer of large amounts of funds from a federal officeholder’s campaign committee into an a campaign account for a state or local election.
Renacci for Ohio spokesman James Slepian called the article “shoddy reporting.”
“The only thing more embarrassing than the Columbus Dispatch’s reckless and false reporting on this issue is their refusal to retract the story even when presented with clear Ohio law that directly debunks the sham assertion that this donation somehow violated the law,” Slepian said via email.
The contribution was reported by Renacci’s gubernatorial campaign to the office of Secretary of State Jon Husted June 30, the final day of that reporting period, as well as reported in Renacci’s federal campaign finance report from July.
Slepian cited Ohio Revised Code 3517.107(b): “Any federal political committee may make contributions, expenditures, or independent expenditures from its federal account in connection with any state or local election in Ohio.” The donation reportedly came from a state-registered political action committee (PAC).
Slepian also cited a passage from campaign finance guidelines provided by the office of Secretary of State Jon Husted, which states, “The campaign committees of a candidate for federal office wishing to make expenditures to Ohio non-federal candidate committees, Ohio PACs or Ohio PCEs (political contributing entities), legislative campaign funds, state political party funds or county political party funds must first register as an FSL (federal, state, local) PAC before making such expenditures.”
“Ohio law prohibits a federal campaign, like Renacci for Congress, from transferring its cash to a state campaign. That’s why the Renacci for Congress campaign could not and did not transfer its hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Renacci for Ohio campaign. That is called a ‘transfer’ and is prohibited,” Slepian said.
Slepian maintained that the move was not a “transfer,” but a “contribution, subject to the legal individual limit of $12,707 from any federal campaign to an Ohio state campaign.”
“That is what occurred here and it is entirely permissible under the law,” he said.
Also gunning for the Republican gubernatorial nomination are Husted, Attorney General Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor.
Renacci, a native of Wadsworth, is currently serving his third term in Congress representing Ohio’s 16th Congressional District.
An Aug. 2 Dispatch article said it discovered Renacci “improperly contributed the maximum $12,707 to his 2018 campaign for the Republican gubernatorial nomination,” which the Dispatch claimed violates state election laws prohibiting the transfer of large amounts of funds from a federal officeholder’s campaign committee into an a campaign account for a state or local election.
Renacci for Ohio spokesman James Slepian called the article “shoddy reporting.”
“The only thing more embarrassing than the Columbus Dispatch’s reckless and false reporting on this issue is their refusal to retract the story even when presented with clear Ohio law that directly debunks the sham assertion that this donation somehow violated the law,” Slepian said via email.
The contribution was reported by Renacci’s gubernatorial campaign to the office of Secretary of State Jon Husted June 30, the final day of that reporting period, as well as reported in Renacci’s federal campaign finance report from July.
Slepian cited Ohio Revised Code 3517.107(b): “Any federal political committee may make contributions, expenditures, or independent expenditures from its federal account in connection with any state or local election in Ohio.” The donation reportedly came from a state-registered political action committee (PAC).
Slepian also cited a passage from campaign finance guidelines provided by the office of Secretary of State Jon Husted, which states, “The campaign committees of a candidate for federal office wishing to make expenditures to Ohio non-federal candidate committees, Ohio PACs or Ohio PCEs (political contributing entities), legislative campaign funds, state political party funds or county political party funds must first register as an FSL (federal, state, local) PAC before making such expenditures.”
“Ohio law prohibits a federal campaign, like Renacci for Congress, from transferring its cash to a state campaign. That’s why the Renacci for Congress campaign could not and did not transfer its hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Renacci for Ohio campaign. That is called a ‘transfer’ and is prohibited,” Slepian said.
Slepian maintained that the move was not a “transfer,” but a “contribution, subject to the legal individual limit of $12,707 from any federal campaign to an Ohio state campaign.”
“That is what occurred here and it is entirely permissible under the law,” he said.
Also gunning for the Republican gubernatorial nomination are Husted, Attorney General Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor.
Renacci, a native of Wadsworth, is currently serving his third term in Congress representing Ohio’s 16th Congressional District.