Ohio's 'cowboy' gubernatorial candidate Joe Blystone may have to refund campaign donations
Canal Winchester-area farmer Joe Blystone's fast-and-loose approach to collecting donations for his governor's campaign might have caught up with him.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose's office advised Blystone that if he didn't clean up his books, he might have to refund improper campaign donations.
Among the problems revealed in a routine examination:
Blystone's campaign collected $101,000 in cash donations exceeding $100, which is not allowed under campaign finance laws. If he has to refund the excess, it would total about $86,000.
Blystone's campaign reported $1,100 contributions from corporations, which cannot donate to individuals running for office.
Another $132,000 might need to be refunded if the donors were corporations. The list includes contributions from "Blystone" and "Vaugn Industr." Some of these expenses overlap with those that collected more than $100 in cash.
Blystone's campaign last reported $214,000 on hand, so any sizable refund could be a blow to his finances. He is challenging Gov. Mike DeWine, former U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci and former state Rep. Ron Hood in the Republican primary, slated for May 3.
Ohio governor's race: What to know about GOP candidate Joe Blystone
Blystone's books have been a mess for months, collecting contributions of $25 or less in an "uncharacteristic frequency and amount," according to the review.
Other problems included unclear or vague expenditures, such as "food" and "sleep." According to the audit, "an expenditure is listed within the report from “#Name?,” dated 10/28/2021, in the amount of $141.57."
Approximately 126 found expenses did not list a purpose. Blystone's treasurer, who is the candidate's wife, has until March 31 to respond to the issues raised.
The Ohio Secretary of State's office will work with Blystone, as it does every candidate, to bring its reports into compliance, LaRose spokesman Rob Nichols said. If not, the campaign could face an Ohio Elections Commission probe.
Blystone's former campaign manager has already filed a complaint about Blystone's finances with the Ohio Elections Commission. That review was placed on pause after Blystone's campaign filed a lawsuit in Franklin County Common Pleas Court. The commission has asked a judge to dismiss that lawsuit.
Asked about the problems in February, Blystone said his campaign didn't intentionally violate Ohio's rules.
"Am I saying that everything was done efficiently and effectively per the Ohio Revised Code? I hope that everything is perfect, but the campaign finance regulations are very convoluted," Blystone said. "If we made a mistake, we’ll fix it. It’s just as simple as that, but we didn’t go out there trying to defraud the campaign finance."
Blystone's campaign manager Bryan Robson said the issues cited were "clerical errors or omissions of required information."
"We are in the process of rectifying these errors and omissions," he said.
Examination of Joe Blystone's campaign by Jessie Balmert on Scribd
Jessie Balmert is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Akron Beacon Journal, Cincinnati Enquirer, Columbus Dispatch and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio governor's race: Joe Blystone might have to refund campaign cash
