Are David, Ann, Kenny & Betty about to do a little bit of 'Go Go' Dancing on 'Main Street?'

From John Curry, April 10, 2008

Subject: Are David, Ann, Kenny, & Betty about to do a little bit of "Go Go" Dancing on "Main Street?"

Secretary of State: Charter school operator likely violated campaign-finance law

April 10, 2008
By Jim Siegel
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The Ohio secretary of state's office today told David Brennan, the state's top charter school operator and a major Republican contributor, that he likely violated Ohio law by illegally funneling more than $30,000 to four candidates through a pair of political action committees.

Brennan and his wife, Ann, in 2006 each donated the maximum $10,000 to gubernatorial candidate J. Kenneth Blackwell, attorney general candidate Betty D. Montgomery and auditor candidate Mary Taylor.

According to a letter from J. Curtis Mayhew, the secretary of state's campaign finance administrator, is the Brennans also used two of their PACs to give another $20,000 to Blackwell, $500 to Montgomery and $5,000 to Taylor in 2006. Since 2005.

This is a problem, Mayhew said, because since 2005 the Brennans have been the sole contributors to the Go-Go PAC and the Main Street PAC.

In 2007, Ann and David Brennan each gave the maximum $10,000 to Rep. William G. Batchelder, R-Medina. Also that year, Go-Go and Main Street gave Batchelder a total of $5,250.

In addition, Mayhew said, he thinks the two PACs are “affiliated” under Ohio law, because the Brennans are the sole source of funding and the two share a common officer. That means the PACs share contribution limits, so the fact that each donated $10,000 to Blackwell also is a violation of campaign finance limits.

“We believe that a sufficient basis exists to file a complaint with the Ohio Elections Commission against David Brennan and Ann Brennan for violation of the contribution limits and possibly other campaign finance law,” Mayhew wrote in a letter to the Brennans and their PAC treasurers.

Mayhew said he is not immediately filing a complaint against the Brennans. Rather, he is giving them 21 days to state why the two PACs should not be considered affiliated under Ohio law, and why they did not violate state campaign finance limits.

Brennan of Akron also is involved with All Children Matter, a Michigan-based political action committee that last week was fined $5.2 million by the Ohio Elections Commission for exceeding campaign contribution limits. The commission found the group illegally funneled $870,000 from its Virginia PAC to its PAC in Ohio, which was used to help a number of Republicans across the state.

Brennan donated $200,000 to All Children Matter. The case is expected to be appealed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court.

Thomas F. Needles, a Columbus lobbyist for Brennan who also is listed as the treasurer of the Go-Go PAC, said he was reviewing Mayhew's letter.