With a week to go before the primary election, a supporter of Republican governor candidate Mike DeWine is claiming that a $3 million loan to the campaign of DeWine’s opponent was an illegal contribution.
State Rep. Mike Duffey of Worthington says in his complaint to the Ohio Elections Commission that a $3 million loan repayment to Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor’s husband, developer Donzell Taylor, is a problem, since Taylor had previously reported a $3 million personal loan in January.
Candidates can loan themselves money, but if the money comes from other sources, it’s considered a contribution and subject to a limit of just under $13,000. Duffey alleges the money would represent an illegal campaign contribution if Taylor's husband is the source, and would mean her earlier campaign finance reporting was falsified.
The loan would have exceeded campaign finance limits by about $2.9 million. Based on that amount, a finding against Taylor could result in fines as high as $8.9 million.
Taylor’s campaign says the loans were proper under Ohio law, and her spokesman calls the complaint an “amateur hour attack."
“This is just the latest example of the DeWine camp trying to muddy the waters so Ohio voters won’t be focused on his pathetic, liberal record," said Taylor spokesperson Michael Duchesne. "It's not going to work."
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
