BY MICHAEL HAWTHORNE
Enquirer Columbus Bureau
COLUMBUS -- Ohio Republican Party chairman Bob Bennett on Thursday jumped into the fracas over the latest attempt to reform state laws governing how politicians raise and spend money.
In a complaint filed with the Ohio Elections Commission, Mr. Bennett alleged that Lee Fisher, the Democratic candidate for governor, illegally raised unlimited sums of money from labor unions during a 12-day period that ended Monday.
A spokeswoman for Mr. Fisher said the campaign merely followed a law crafted in part by Secretary of State Bob Taft, the Republican candidate for governor.
"The unions and Lee Fisher have manufactured an imaginary loophole to funnel millions of dollars into the Fisher campaign," Mr. Bennett said. "This is a clear and blatant violation of campaign finance laws."
Aides to Mr. Fisher confirmed that his campaign received some contributions in excess of $2,500 during the 12-day period, but they won't say how much. All the money was collected legally, the aides said.
"We have followed the law, which was written by Republicans and promoted by Bob Taft," said Judy Barbao, spokeswoman for the Fisher campaign. "This is typical Bob Bennett grandstanding, but his allegations are absolutely ludicrous."
At issue is whether an order granted by Ohio's 10th District Court of Appeals remains in effect, or has been lifted.
The appeals court handed organized labor a major victory in March when it struck down provisions of a 1995 state law that restricted the use of union dues for political contributions. The decision was a boon for Democrats, who tend to reap most of the contributions doled out by unions.
Republican Attorney General Betty Montgomery appealed and won an order putting the decision on hold, pending a ruling from the Ohio Supreme Court. But the high court later refused to hear the case.
Meanwhile, the Republican-controlled General Assembly passed a separate law that limits the amount of money labor unions can give to $2,500, similar to caps on contributions from individuals and political action committees. The new law took effect Monday.
Mr. Fisher argues that between the date the Ohio Supreme Court refused to hear the case (July 1) and the effective date of the new law (July 13), unions weren't bound by campaign contribution limits.
The complaint by the Ohio Republican Party contends the order putting the appeals court decision on hold was never lifted because Ms. Montgomery asked the high court to reconsider the case.
Last Friday, Mr. Taft sent a letter urging Mr. Fisher to return any union contributions that exceed $2,500. Common Cause, a government watchdog group, also asked Mr. Fisher to return the extra cash. Whether the fund-raising tactics were legal ultimately will be determined by the Ohio Supreme Court.
This isn't the first time a candidate has tried to legally skirt the contribution limits. Ms. Barbao noted that Mr. Taft sent out a fund-raising letter shortly before the limits took effect in 1996, asking potential donors to give $5,000 while they still could.
"This is a political complaint by the Republicans, not a legal complaint," said Jennifer Brunner, legal counsel to the Fisher campaign. "If the tables were turned, they would drive a truck through any loophole they could find."
