Mandel Still Refusing To Answer Key Questions About His Connection To The Federal Investigation Of His Shady Campaign Contributions
COLUMBUS, OHIO – Last week, after an FBI investigation into more than $100,000 in allegedly illegal contributions to his campaign became public, Josh Mandel bowed to political pressure and returned the money in a desperate act of political self-preservation. His motives were clear: change the conversation. But Mandel’s outright refusal to answer key questions about his connection to the shocking FBI probe leaves Ohioans wondering what he’s still hiding.
Here is what we know:
- The Toledo Blade first reported about the donations at the center of the investigation more than nine months ago.
- Questioned about the same donations at the time, Mandel said he was “proud” of his contributors, bizarrely noting that he sends them thank you notes.
- Renacci’s campaign has confirmed they were made aware of the FBI investigation in January or February of this year.
- Suarez Corp. Industries President Ben Suarez told The Canton Repository that Mandel solicited the donations.
- To date, Mandel has refused to say when he first learned about the investigation, and whether or not he did solicit the donations as has been reported.
Here are questions Josh Mandel has refused to answer:
- When did Josh Mandel first learn about the FBI investigation?
- Why didn’t Josh Mandel return the tainted campaign donations as soon as he learned about the FBI investigation, instead of waiting until it became public and threatened his political career?
- Did Josh Mandel solicit the contributions at the center of the ongoing FBI investigation, as has been reported?
“Ohioans deserve for Josh Mandel to come out from hiding and finally come clean by stating exactly when he first learned of the FBI investigation, why he didn’t immediately return the money that day and whether or not he solicited the contributions which prompted a federal probe,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokesman Andrew Zucker. “Between his decisions to return more than $100,000 in tainted campaign cash only after it was reported that the FBI had questioned his campaign, hire numerous unqualified political cronies and blow off every single meeting of the billion-dollar Board of Deposit during his first year in office, it’s clear that Josh Mandel is just another politician Ohioans can’t trust.”
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Paid for by the Ohio Democratic Party, Chris Redfern, Chairman