The Ohio Elections Commission voted 7-0 there is substantial evidence that Clocktower Collaborative operated as an unregistered Political Action Committee (PAC). This is a pivotal decision as everyone involved in the dark money group will now be subject to subpoenas.
There were two complaints filed at the Ohio Elections Commission regarding Clocktower Collaborative. The more significant case was the one that won unanimously as it is more encompassing and will subject the Clocktower Collaborators to subpoenas and depositions. Discovery may reveal more information regarding direct collaboration with Mike Bird*, Patricia Goetz*, and Madeline Lepidi-Carino that could result in the coordination complaint being refiled.
Scott Ruffer filed the winning complaint and shared the news on his Facebook page.
Ruffer also filed a challenge to certification in Summit County Common Pleas Court. This case centered around the argument that the election should not have been certified until Bird filed a valid and accurate campaign finance report. At that time, there was still a pending case at the Ohio Elections Commission regarding coordination that would have impacted Bird’s campaign finance report. Ruffer sought that certification be revoked until Bird’s campaign finance report situation was revolved. Essentially, Ruffer was asking the court to force Bird’s finance report to include the amounts Clocktower Collaborative spent on his campaign. Bird and his campaign treasurer were on the Clocktower Collaborative planning emails and some of the Clocktower Collaborators held events for Bird as Howington instructed. This case centered on Ohio Revised Code 3517.11(d)
“(D) No certificate of nomination or election shall be issued to a person, and no person elected to an office shall enter upon the performance of the duties of that office, until that person or that person’s campaign committee, as appropriate, has fully complied with this section and sections 3517.08, 3517.081, 3517.10, and 3517.13 of the Revised Code.”
ORC 3517.11(d)
Judge Kelly McLaughlin was assigned the case. McLaughlin recused herself from Councilwoman Nicole Kowalski’s lawsuit against the City of Hudson, but oddly refused to do so in this case. McLaughlin quickly dismissed the case during the hearing, but not before Howington spat out some very pertinent information that was mentioned at the Ohio Elections Commission and will certainly be brought up again at the upcoming OEC hearing.
Patricia Goetz attended at least one Clocktower Collaborative organizational meeting.
Click here to read the two leaked Clocktower Collaborative emails.
