COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office says Republican Joe Blystone’s campaign for governor must refund a total of more than $100,000 in contributions that violate the state’s limit on cash donations or ban on corporate donations.
The flagged contributions include more than $101,000 in donations that exceed the state’s limit of $100 for each contribution made in cash, according to a March 4 letter sent by Brian Katz, campaign-finance director for LaRose’s office. Katz also wrote that it’s necessary for Blystone to refund $1,100 in in-kind contributions from corporations, which aren’t allowed to donate to Ohio political candidates.
The 20-page examination of Blystone’s campaign finance reports from 2021 by LaRose’s office also found more than two dozen other irregularities, including missing information about donors, missing or overly vague descriptions of expenditures and contributors, and an additional $130,000 in contributions that may need to be refunded because they may have come from corporations.
On Wednesday, after the initial publication of this story, lawyers for Blystone’s campaign and LaRose’s office “agreed on a clear framework, creating a specific manner and timeframe for ensuring full compliance in the campaign finance report,” according to a campaign release.
The Blystone campaign stated it will issue a report on April 15 stating whether the issues raised by LaRose’s office are valid, identify and correct any mistakes, and publicly provide full details about any corrective measures taken.
“The campaign will likely voluntarily return a small amount of donations—nowhere near $100,000,” the release stated.
Rob Nichols, a LaRose spokesman, noted that the secretary of state’s office routinely examines Ohio political candidates’ campaign-finance filings and often writes campaigns seeking additional information about the forms they submitted.
Blystone, a Columbus-area farmer, is one of three Republicans challenging Gov. Mike DeWine in this year’s primary. Easily identifiable thanks to his bushy beard and ever-present cowboy hat, the first-time political candidate has attracted support from many conservatives upset with DeWine over his coronavirus policies, among other things.
The letter was sent to cleveland.com by Scott Pullins, a Mount Vernon attorney who has been helping another DeWine primary challenger, ex-U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci. Pullins is representing a number of former Blystone campaign volunteers and staff who filed an Ohio Elections Commission complaint accusing Blystone’s campaign of violating numerous campaign-finance laws, including failing to document thousands of dollars in donations.
The elections commission voted to hold a hearing on the allegations, but the matter was placed on hold after Blystone filed a lawsuit accusing the commission of abusing its powers.
Read the full letter here: