The fallout of Clocktower Collaborative being declared an illegal PAC by the Ohio Elections Commission continues. The documented participants persist making their situation worse by repeatedly spewing excuses for their illegal behavior.
At Tuesday’s Hudson Council meeting, a number of residents spoke in support of Ward 3 Councilman Skylar Sutton who was flooded with messages and phone calls from out of state supporters of State Senator Casey Weinstein, a donor to the illegal PAC. The embattled State Senator is upset that Sutton posted the names of his fellow donors. This is public record but Weinstein objects to the transparency that Ohio law demands. Weinstein’s online mob came for Sutton.
After there were no public comments in support of the illegal PAC, Clocktower Collaborative Council Members Goetz, Bird, and Kowalski took up that mantel. Kowalski claimed the illegal PAC’s only crime was forgetting to file a piece of paperwork. Goetz and Bird claimed they had been exonerated by the OEC despite both them and their treasurers being on the planning emails for the illegal PAC.
Bird took it ever farther by saying that the donor names should not have been public record because many of them are “played major roles in this community.” In other words, the Ward 4 Councilman believes his friends and supporters should not have to obey the law.
True civic leaders wouldn’t donate to an illegal PAC parading as a non-profit in the hopes that their names would never be exposed, unless they knew what they were doing was wrong. The planning emails made it clear the intent was to shield their names and get around the campaign finance laws of Hudson that were ironically championed by George Roth and Bill Wooldredge who had lead roles in the illegal PAC and funded it.
Council President Chris Foster had enough of the spinning and lies by the Clocktower Collaborative Trio on Council. He broke it down and explained why this is a big deal and how one of the signators had over $150,000 in no-bid contracts from the City of Hudson from then City Manager Jane Howington, the bag man for the illegal PAC.
WATCH:
People want transparency in their government. And rather than apologizing for breaking that trust, the Clocktower Collaborators continue pointing their fingers at somewhere else.
Foster gives important details about the possible future of this case. Discovery from the full hearing revealed that there appears to be coordination between the candidates and Clocktower Collaborative.
Given that payments from City coffers are public record, we have details of those no bid contracts to Akhia Communications mentioned in the video above. Akhia Communication’s website states that Jan Gusich retired as CEO in 2018. Only the final two payments totaling $3350 came in 2019 then the payments ceased.
People want their elected officials to act in a legal and professional manner. Until those who were involved and benefitted from this illegal PAC accept responsibility and stop blaming others, their politics of division and misinformation will continue in the City of Hudson.
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So in watching the playback of the City Council meeting, held in Hudson on June 2nd, Goetz, Kowalski and Bird dismissed the Election Board hearing ruling that they participated in a now determined illegal PAC. They stated, at the June 2nd Council meeting, (as did Senator Weinstein in an online post) that the $50 fine is a negligible dollar amount and so their breaking of campaign laws is not a big deal. Kowalski previously pursued legally a supposed violation, by her political opponent, of violating the $100. cap on donations. Kowalski’s pursuit cost taxpayers considerable dollars this when city and county legal had advised that there was no legal reason for her pursuit. The law is the law; no matter if you do not get caught breaking the law, or you get a low fine for breaking THE LAW. I guess for Kowalski her threshold for a crime is $100.