Following the earlier endorsements of the Toledo Blade, the Columbus Dispatch, and the Akron Beacon Journal, Yvette McGee Brown picked up the endorsement of the Cleveland Plain Dealer this weekend. In this latest endorsement, the Plain Dealer noted Yvette’s experience, court watchers’ description of her as “rigorously prepared and thoughtful”, and the consistently higher marks she has earned over her opponent from bar associations. These major Ohio newspaper endorsements echo the “highly recommended” rating by the Ohio State Bar Association, and the endorsement of the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police.

Cleveland Plain Dealer // Plain Dealer endorses Ohio Supreme Court incumbents McGee Brown, Cupp and O’Donnell
“McGee Brown is the court’s only Democrat and its first African-American woman justice. Her resume includes service as a highly regarded Common Pleas judge in Franklin County and CEO of a large children’s advocacy group. Court watchers call her rigorously prepared and thoughtful.”

Akron Beacon Journal // For Supreme Court justice: Yvette McGee Brown
“She has been an outstanding addition to the court, winning praise from the chief justice and other colleagues for the quality of her work and her temperament. […] [Brown] brings welcome diversity in another way. She is the lone Democrat. Her presence leaves the court much less vulnerable to charges of following a Republican agenda, the result enhancing public confidence. In addition, she can point to rich and varied experience, 27 years as a practicing attorney, nine as a domestic relations and juvenile judge in Franklin County, plus managing a business, founding the Center for Child and Family Advocacy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. No other justice has such a business perspective.”

Toledo Blade // For Ohio Supreme Court

Columbus Dispatch // For Ohio Supreme Court- O’Donnell, Cupp, McGee Brown are judges voters should retain

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Democrats send letter calling for Husted, DeWine to use state authority to review allegations of True the Vote’s criminal interference with the right to vote

COLUMBUS– Today, Senate Democrats formally requested Secretary of State Husted and Attorney General Mike DeWine use the authority invested in them by state law to review allegations against the group “True the Vote” of criminal interference with Ohioan’s right to vote. Correspondence that Senate Democrats sent to both DeWine and Husted is as follows:

October 17, 2012

The Honorable Jon Husted
Ohio Secretary of State
180 E. Broad Street, 16th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215

Dear Secretary Husted,

We are writing to alert you to the activities of an organization, “True the Vote” (TTV), that raises potentially significant issues under laws that prohibit the harassment or intimidation of voters.

TTV professes a concern with voter fraud in this year’s elections.  Of course, all are agreed that only eligible voters should participate in our elections.  And, fortunately, there is every evidence that our elections are free of fraud—a conclusion confirmed October 4 by a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study that could not document a single case of voter fraud.

Nonetheless, TTV insists that voter fraud is a pervasive problem and has taken it upon itself to employ questionable, and possibly illegal, methods to combat the “problem”.  These methods have turned up no fraud and have posed a serious threat of intimidation of entirely eligible voters.

The TTV program has been summarized in these terms in one national news comment:

In an ostensible hunt for voter fraud, a Tea Party group, True the Vote, descends on a largely minority precinct and combs the registration records for the slightest misspelling or address error. It uses this information to challenge voters at the polls, and though almost every challenge is baseless, the arguments and delays frustrate those in line and reduce turnout…[i]

True the Vote has already begun similar efforts in Ohio.  Working through an affiliated group, the Ohio Voter Integrity Project, True the Vote has challenged hundreds of voters in Hamilton (380 challenges) and Franklin (308 challenges) counties.[ii]  The overwhelming majority of these challenges were rejected, but not before the voters involved were frightened by the prospect of being denied the opportunity to vote.[iii]  This is in addition to a True the Vote training event held in Columbus, Ohio at the end of August to recruit and train volunteers.[iv]

Moreover, training materials that True the Vote uses and that have come to light show that it has provided incorrect legal information to the individuals it recruits for this “poll watching” activity.  For example, in Ohio, a TTV training manual informs volunteers that “any Precinct Election Official or any registered voter may challenge the eligibility of another voter at the polling [place] before they vote based on residency, citizenship, age, or changes in party affiliation (Primary Elections only).”[v]  However, Ohio law allows only election officials to challenge voters on Election Day; all other challenges must be completed 20 days before the election.[vi]  The same manual instructs volunteers – who will be stationed at the polls – that anyone who has moved within the 30 days prior to an election must vote using a provisional ballot[vii]; under Ohio law, individuals who have moved within the same precinct may vote on a regular ballot.[viii]

This pattern reflects purposeful activity by True the Vote. One of the group’s leaders told the national True the Vote summit in Florida this April, the poll watcher’s job is tomake voters feel like“they’re driving and seeing the police following you.”[ix]

This type of voter intimidation activity has marred our country’s voting history. It has traditionally focused on the voter registration lists in minority and low-income precincts, utilizing “caging” techniques to question registrations.  It has included encouraging poll watchers to “raise a challenge” when certain voters tried to vote by brandishing cameras at polling sites, asking humiliating questions of voters, and slowing down precinct lines with unnecessary challenges and intimidating tactics.  These acts of intimidation undermine protection of the right to vote of all citizens.  This now appears to be the work, the very mission, of True the Vote.

In November 2011 True the Vote announced its goal of recruiting one million people to serve as “poll watchers”, presumably to engage in these activities, during the 2012 general election around the country.[x]  If True the Vote engages in these types of activities in the November elections, its actions raise serious questions under both federal and state laws.

In Ohio, statutes criminalize any “attempt by intimidation, coercion, or other unlawful means to induce such delegate or elector to register or refrain from registering or to vote or refrain from voting.”[xi] It is also illegal to “in any manner hinder or delay an elector in reaching or leaving the place fixed for casting the elector’s ballot”[xii] including “loiter[ing] in or about a registration or polling place during registration or the casting and counting of ballots so as to hinder, delay, or interfere with the conduct of the registration or election.”[xiii]

Federal law provides for the prosecution of any individual or organization who “intimidates, threatens, coerces, or attempts to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any other person for the purpose of interfering with the right of such other person to vote or to vote as he may choose, or of causing such other person to vote for, or not to vote for, any candidate.”[xiv]  Criminal liability extends to individuals interfering in this fashion with the right to register to vote.[xv]

Moreover, where a State is not acting to protect the rights of minority voters, the United States Attorney General may authorize federal prosecution under the Voting Rights Act where an individual – here, members of True the Vote – uses force or even the threat of force to intimidate any individual from “voting or qualifying to vote, qualifying or campaigning as a candidate for elective office, or qualifying or acting as a poll watcher, or any legally authorized election official, in any primary, special, or general election.”[xvi]

These federal protections – creating criminal liability for individuals and groups activating to intimidate and influence voters – is mirrored in state laws throughout the United States—including ours.

It is clear, then, that True the Vote’s very program, and the specific activities in which it has engaged to date, present serious questions of illegal—indeed criminal—interference with the right to vote.  I would ask that your office review this matter urgently, and take all necessary steps to protect the rights of our state’s voters through the vigorous enforcement of the law.

Sincerely,

The Honorable Eric H. Kearney
Minority Leader, Ohio Senate

The Honorable Nina Turner
State Senator, District 25

The Honorable Edna Brown
State Senator, District 11

The Honorable Tom Sawyer
State Senator, District 28

The Honorable Charleta B. Tavares
State Senator, District 15	

The Honorable Lou Gentile
State Senator, District 30

The Honorable Shirley Smith
State Senator, District 21

The Honorable Capri Cafaro
State Senator, District 32

The Honorable Michael Skindell
State Senator, District 23

The Honorable Joe Schiavoni
State Senator, District 33

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“Brown Carried This One” On Policy, While “Mandel Was The Clear Winner” On Slogans

COLUMBUS, OHIO – Josh Mandel accomplished nothing in yesterday’s debate with Sen. Sherrod Brown aside from reinforcing his image as a politician who can’t be trusted. Ohio’s absentee Treasurer doubled down on his opposition to the auto rescue after previously calling Sherrod “un-American” for voting for it, and unbelievably promised that he would bring the numerous unqualified political cronies and friends stocking the Treasurer’s office with him to Washington if elected, as reported by Talking Points Memo:

“I will take the team of qualified professionals that we have in our office, I will stack them up against anyone in your office, and I’ll take them to go change Washington as, well.”

As expected, Sherrod was far better on specifics and actually answering the questions posed to him – while Mandel debated the same way he’s campaigned – using cheap slogans that lacked substance.

Associated Press – Mandel says he wouldn’t have backed auto bailout

“Republican Josh Mandel finally made it clear Monday that he wouldn’t have supported the auto industry bailout, an issue backed and touted at nearly every turn by his Democratic opponent in the race for Ohio’s U.S. Senate seat…

“[Mandel] has faced criticism throughout the campaign for hiring friends and political operatives into his state office and missing official state duties.

“‘The folks we’ve hired are qualified professionals,’ Mandel said, drawing more laughter from the audience.”

Huffington Post – Josh Mandel Says He Would Have Opposed Auto Bailout During Ohio Senate Debate

“‘Those are real jobs and real people,’ Brown said. ‘If you would be so out-of-step with George Voinovich and Steve LaTourette to be against the auto rescue, it boggles my mind.’”

Toledo Blade – Mandel, Brown meet in Cleveland debate

“Mr. Mandel gave his most blunt answer yet on the $80-billion taxpayer-funded rescue that many believe saved the U.S. auto industry after the 2008 credit crisis.

“‘I would not have voted for that. I couldn’t have,’ Mr. Mandel said…”

CNN – Senate candidates from Ohio debate auto bailout

“Josh, do you know about the Chevy Cruze and the Chevy Eco? The steel and the aluminum are made right here in Cleveland. The transmission comes out of Toledo. In Defiance they build the engines. These are real jobs and real people…”

Cincinnati Enquirer – Brown, Mandel attack during first debate

“Brown touted his support of the auto industry bailout and criticized Mandel for calling that support un-American. That was a reference to news reports in late August when Mandel called Brown’s vote for the auto bailout ‘un-American’ and six days later said Brown ‘should be ashamed of himself’ for voting for the rescue plan.”

“Hoping to distract Ohioans from his record of blowing off billion-dollar investment meetings, hiring unqualified political cronies and friends and opposing the auto rescue Sen. Sherrod Brown fought tirelessly to pass, Josh Mandel did nothing yesterday but reinforce his image as a politician who can’t be trusted,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokesman Andrew Zucker. “Mandel left no doubt that he would have let the auto industry die with callous disregard for the 850,000 Ohioans whose jobs were protected by the auto rescue, and in the debate’s second watershed moment, shockingly promised to take the unqualified political cronies and friends stocking his Treasurer’s office with him to Washington.”

COLUMBUS, OHIO – In response to the first U.S. Senate debate between Sen. Sherrod Brown and Josh Mandel, Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern released the following statement:

“After today’s debate, the choice in the Ohio Senate race could not be clearer. In Sen. Sherrod Brown, Ohioans have a fighter for the middle class who led the charge to pass the auto rescue package that helped to protect 850,000 Ohio jobs, stood up for Ohio manufacturing jobs in the face of Chinese trade policies and who will continue protecting Social Security and Medicare. This contrasted starkly with the consummate ‘cartoon candidate’ Josh Mandel, a politician who can’t be trusted to show up for work or hire qualified staff and who today doubled down on his opposition to the auto industry rescue with callous disregard for the 850,000 Ohio jobs it protected.”

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Vindicator Endorsed Sherrod This Weekend, Citing Mandel’s “Tortured Evasions” Of Basic Questions

COLUMBUS, OHIO – Josh Mandel really HATES talking about the auto rescue. It’s not a secret why – after all, Mandel called Sen. Sherrod Brown “un-American” for voting for it. He opposes the auto rescue, he knows it’s not a particularly popular issue for him to bring up, and so he tries hard to avoid answering questions about it. But if you thought Josh Mandel’s uncanny ability to avoid answering basic questions had already been tested, get ready to reconsider.

This past weekend the Youngstown Vindicator endorsed Sherrod’s reelection, citing Josh Mandel’s “tortured evasions” of basic questions about the auto rescue package during his editorial board interview. Newly-released video of the exchange between Mandel and the Vindicator‘s editorial board makes their written description of the exchange sound timid.

WATCH Josh Mandel repeatedly attack the auto rescue he opposed, then refuse to answer questions about it.

“Josh Mandel’s opposition to the auto rescue Sen. Sherrod Brown fought tirelessly to pass is a slap in the face to the hundreds of thousands of Ohioans whose jobs it helped to protect, and his laughable attempt to avoid questions about it is yet another indication that Josh Mandel’s reality is anything but,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokesman Andrew Zucker. “Josh Mandel’s reputation as a politician who can’t be trusted is well deserved, but more importantly Ohioans have come to learn that Mandel can’t be trusted to fight for Ohio jobs, and that, more than anything, is why he shouldn’t be elected Senator.”

Democrats Send Letter to US Attorney, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Requesting Criminal Investigation Into Alleged Extortion of Employees, Vendors, and Other Potentially Illegal Acts

COLUMBUS, OHIO – In response to an expose by The New Republic magazine into Murray Energy’s political fundraising activities and possible coercion of employees and vendors to give to Republican candidates, today Ohio Democrats formally requested that the US Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, Steven Dettelbach, launch a criminal investigation into potential violations of Title 18 of US criminal code.

Ohio Democratic Chairman Chris Redfern noted, “thanks to this report, now we know why coal workers and miners have lent themselves to the rallies, ads, and political contributions. They’ve been afraid.”

Ohio Democrats identified more than $1.4 million received by Ohio state and federal non-presidential candidates for public office. The overwhelming majority of these contributions have gone to Republicans such as Josh Mandel who received more than $60,000, and Mitt Romney, who received more than $120,000.

All Ohio statewide office holdershave received Murray Energy contributions, and more than $100,000 has been spread between Representatives Bill Johnson, Jim Renacci, and Governor Kasich.

A full copy of the letter to the US Attorney, with attachments, is available for download.
A copy of identified Murray Energy political contributions is available as an excel download here.

Because of significant state contributions, Democrats also forwarded a copy of their request for a criminal investigation on to acting Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty. Democrats also alerted the Federal Elections Commissionwhich is already investigating Murray Energy for other possible violations.

The Murray Energy Corporation is headquartered in Pepper Pike in Northeast Ohio.

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COLUMBUS, OHIO – Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern released the following statement today in response to a breaking news report revealing that Josh Mandel has skipped every single meeting of the seven other state boards he sits on in addition to the billion-dollar Board of Deposit his first year in office:

“Josh Mandel should be ashamed of himself for the way he has completely ignored his job as Treasurer. His record of blowing off billion-dollar investment meetings and hiring unqualified political cronies and friends in the Treasurer’s office is already an established fact, but the revelation that Josh Mandel has also blown off every single meeting of the seven other state boards he sits on stands as yet another piece of damning evidence that he’s a politician who can’t be trusted, and whose only concern is climbing the political ladder – not serving the people of Ohio who elected him state treasurer.”

COLUMBUS, OHIO – In case you missed it, Josh Mandel was caught physically intimidating an opposition staffer, yelling his name and grabbing his camera in front of a Columbus Dispatch reporter. Worse, after the Dispatch reporter wrote about it the next day, and video footage emerged backing his account of the exchange, Mandel decided to lie about it and falsely accuse the reporter of distorting his inappropriate conduct toward the staffer. Bad idea, Josh.

Columbus Dispatch – Mandel’s account of confrontation differs from evidence

“Republican U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel said a political video tracker ‘made the initial physical contact with me’ in an incident that occurred Friday in a public elevator, offering an explanation that is not supported by eyewitness accounts nor the video of the incident and is a twist from the original statement put out by the Mandel campaign.”

Columbus Dispatch – Mandel: Tracker initiated contact

“After Mandel and this reporter got off the elevator, an unidentified woman who remained aboard can be heard on the video remarking to the tracker that she saw Mandel come “right over there to block” the camera. The woman also can be heard saying that ‘(when) he walked in, he scared me to death.’”

Plunderbund - Despite video, Josh Mandel can’t help lying about tracker incident

“But for Mandel to stand up, at a press conference, in front of the Dispatch’s Joe Vardon, and call him a liar – knowing that everyone in attendance had likely seen the video of the event – seems almost pathological.”

Politico Morning Score – Mandel Gets Bad Press For Touching Tracker

“On Saturday, The Dispatch reported that Mandel approached and ultimately grabbed a monopod attached to a camera held by a tracker from the American Bridge 21st Century political-action committee, who had been following Mandel for several minutes and ultimately boarded the same Rhodes Tower elevator.”

Hotline on Call (National Journal) – Hotline Sort: Fight night

“Tracker drama for Ohio GOP Senate nominee Josh Mandel, per the Columbus Dispatch, who had a reporter with Mandel at the time of the incident:”

Talking Points Memo – Department of Unforced Errors

“But when you’re running for Senate it doesn’t look good to lose your composure and manhandle or push some tracker kid. Even worse to lie about it a couple hours later.”

MSNBC / The Maddow Blog – How not to handle trackers

“I’m sure Mandel has a team of advisers, but I might offer some suggestions for the conservative candidate: (1) don’t initiate physical confrontations; (2) don’t initiate physical confrontations on camera in and in front of journalists; and (3) don’t blatantly lie about it.”

Huffington Post – Josh Mandel, Ohio Senate Candidate, Says Tracker Grabbed Him

“Mandel has had a history of run-ins with Ohio reporters. In June, he called Ted Hart, a reporter for NBC 4 in Columbus, ‘out of touch with reality’ when Hart questioned Mandel’s truthfulness regarding Brown’s Senate record.”

Politico Huddle – Dispatch reporter disputes Mandel account

“The video of the incident shows, as The Dispatch previously reported, the tracker following Mandel into the elevator. But it also shows Mandel approach the tracker, say his name loudly, step to the side of him, and then the camera shakes. The tracker, whose name is Tyler Hansen, said ‘please don’t,’”

Huffington Post – Josh Mandel, Ohio Senate Candidate, Pushes Tracker’s Camera

“The Republican nominee for Ohio’s U.S. Senate seat, state Treasurer Josh Mandel, had a bizarre exchange and brief outburst while sharing an elevator Friday with a tracker for a Democratic super PAC. …

“When Mandel pushes the camera, the tracker can be heard saying ‘please don’t.’”

Plunderbund – Tracker to Josh Mandel: “Please don’t” grab my camera! [WITH VIDEO]

“After watching the video below you will no longer have to wonder how Josh Mandel is handling the stress of this year’s senate campaign. The short answer: not well.”

“Josh Mandel’s almost pathological ability to lie has reached new and unsettling heights following his decision to physically intimidate an opposition staffer and then lie about it, despite irrefutable video evidence and eyewitness reporting,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokesman Andrew Zucker. “Unfortunately for Josh Mandel, simply saying something is false doesn’t immediately make it so, and the Columbus Dispatch reporter’s account of the event proves what most Ohioans have learned already – that there’s literally nothing Mandel won’t lie about if it means furthering his floundering campaign for U.S. Senate.”

COLUMBUS, OHIO – New tracker footage shot by American Bridge shows Josh Mandel physically intimidating an opposition tracker, yelling at him and grabbing his camera before seemingly remembering the Columbus Dispatch reporter standing right beside him.

Is it possible that the pressure of his floundering Senate campaign – still in the game thanks only to nearly $20 million in outside money – is getting to him?

Since last week, Sen. Brown has won two newspaper endorsements and the support of the Ohio Society of CPAs.

WATCH: Mandel Corners American Bridge Tracker In An Elevator.

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Paid for by the Ohio Democratic Party, Chris Redfern, Chairman

Last Week Mandel Began Airing Attack Ad Falsely Accusing Sherrod Brown Of Not Showing Up For Work Despite Brown’s 99% Attendance Record In Senate

COLUMBUS, OHIO – Just one week after blowing off work to fundraise in NYC, absentee “Treasurer” Josh Mandel is in Washington, D.C. today to raise cash and hobnob with lobbyists and GOP party bosses. Mandel will be working campaigning hard with three back-to-back events in D.C. today.

This is the same guy currently airing an ad that falsely accuses Sherrod Brown of not showing up for work despite Brown’s 99% attendance record in the Senate. As a result, Ohio’s newspapers called Mandel’s attack “audaciously over the top,” accusing him of continuing to “push the frontier of campaign cynicism.”

Josh Mandel ignoring his job to raise cash out of state certainly isn’t news , but the stunning hypocrisy from Mr. “I can’t go to work cuz I’m raising cash from payday lenders in the Bahamas” is the unique brand of nonsense that only “Treasurer” Mandel can bring you.

TREASURER MANDEL’S WORK SCHEDULE

8:30 a.m.         Breakfast fundraiser

12:00 p.m.       Fundraising lunch w/ GOP party boss Senator Roy Blunt

4:30 p.m.         Fundraising reception

“Josh Mandel has ignored his job and hired unqualified political cronies and friends to mind the store and the fact that he’s fundraising in D.C. on a workday while running a ridiculously false ad that accuses his opponent of not showing up for work is another reason that he’s nothing more than a politician who can’t be trusted,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokesman Andrew Zucker.

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Paid For By the Ohio Democratic Party, Chris Redfern, Chairman