Uncategorized

LaRose Claims to “Understand The Struggle of Average Americans” While Dodging Questions About Self-Funding $250,000 

Columbus, OH – Frank LaRose is now sixteen days past the U.S. Senate Ethics Committee’s deadline to file his personal financial disclosure. After dodging questions about self-funding $250,000 to his campaign – despite mocking his opponents by claiming to be the only “thousandaire” in the race – LaRose is now claiming to “understand the struggle of average Americans” while acting like the rules don’t apply to him. 

What Ohioans are reading recently about LaRose believing the rules don’t apply to him: 

• Cleveland.com: “Secretary of State Frank LaRose has gently mocked his wealthy opponents in March’s Republican Senate primary election by referring to himself as a humble ‘thousandaire.’ But the public will have to wait for details that could shed more light on LaRose’s financial situation, as a federal deadline for a mandatory financial disclosure passed Tuesday without a report from LaRose.

• Ohio Capital Journal: “Despite that 90-day reprieve, LaRose has yet to file. The Ohio Capital Journal reached out to his campaign to see if the report has been filed but not yet posted or if the campaign has requested a further extension. The campaign did not respond…LaRose’s failure to file thus far is particularly notable given a $250,000 personal loan he made to his campaign in September.”

• Heartland Signal: “Candidates are required to publicly disclose their finances within 30 days of announcing their candidacy. LaRose announced his run for Senate on July 17 and subsequently asked for an extension on his filing on Aug 9. Despite an extra 90 days, LaRose again blew past his deadline on Nov. 14.”

• Ohio Capital Journal: “LaRose’s campaign didn’t respond to a request for more information about the source of his loan, but it seems like a substantial sum given his current state salary income.” [10/20/23]

• Tribune Chronicle: “I questioned how LaRose could come up with $250,000 out of his pocket for his Senate campaign. But Ben Kindel, his campaign spokesman, didn’t respond to my numerous inquiries.” [10/20/23]

###

Columbus, OH – After trying and failing twice to rip fundamental rights away from Ohio women this year, Ohio Republicans keep doubling down on their disgusting attacks on women and saying the quiet part out loud. It’s more than a pattern, it’s a clear indication that these out-of-touch GOP politicians aren’t backing down from their ongoing war on women. 

“It’s clear from their lengthy list of disgusting attacks how Republican politicians view women in this state. These comments are not only disturbing, they’re disqualifying for any elected official. Regardless of how many times Ohioans stand up and push back, these out-of-touch politicians never learn their lesson. Time and again, the Ohio GOP has shown us exactly who they are, it’s past time we believe them,” said Matt Keyes, spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party. 

Republican politicians not only tried to take away abortion rights, they’ve supported spousal rape, cast doubt on a ten-year-old rape victim, called rape an ‘opportunity,’ and said they want to ‘go as far as we can’ to limit reproductive healthcare. It’s clear these politicians are disconnected from reality and hold extreme views that are dangerous for the future of our state. 

Read more from Republican politicians in their own words: 

• Bill Dean on voting ‘no’ on legislation that would make spousal rape illegal: “I personally don’t believe that a man, if he’s married and has physical relations with his wife, that can be considered rape. I think this law can be used as a wedge between husband and wife and families and a husband and wife’s relationship.”

• Dave Yost on a ten-year-old rape victim forced to travel out of state for critical healthcare: “Every day that goes by the more likely that this is a fabrication…What I’m saying to you is there is not a damn scintilla of evidence. And shame on the Indianapolis paper that ran this thing on a single source who has an obvious axe to grind.”

• Jean Schmidt calling rape ‘an opportunity:’ “It is a shame that it happens but there is an opportunity for that woman, no matter how young or old she is, to make a determination about what she’s going to do to help that life be a productive human being. Just because you have emotional scars doesn’t give you the right to take the life.” 

• Bernie Moreno doubling down in support of banning abortion while lying about November’s Issue 1: “As a dad of two girls, it’s about having that girl be able to be raped and having a rapist force her to have an abortion — all without your consent — as a minor.” 

• Frank LaRose admitting he worked with special interests to ban abortion by rewriting the November ballot language to be intentionally misleading: “That [writing ‘woman’] was something that the pro-life community felt very strongly should be included in that. And they liked that as well, because the name of the ‘no’ campaign was Protect Women Ohio, and the yard signs said: ‘Protect women.’ So they wanted that, they thought that was reasonable and would be helpful to them.

• Mike DeWine: Said he wanted to go “as far as we can” to rip away abortion rights. 

###

LaRose Admits To Working With Special Interest Groups to Rewrite State Issue 1 Ballot Language and Intentionally Mislead Voters 

Columbus, OH – A new must read report from Cleveland.com exposes how Frank LaRose put his thumb on the scale to ban abortion by rewriting the ballot language for State Issue 1 to be intentionally misleading. LaRose has already said he would overrule the majority of Ohioans who voted to protect reproductive rights this month by voting for a national abortion ban. 

Read more: 

Cleveland.com: Secretary of State Frank LaRose says abortion opponents helped craft ballot language to aid defeat of Issue 1

Andrew Tobias

November 29, 2023

• Secretary of State Frank LaRose offered an unusually blunt assessment while defending the ballot language he helped write for state Issue 1, the abortion-rights ballot measure that voters approved earlier this month, to a conservative critic at a local Republican Party event.

• In doing so, LaRose confirmed something that abortion-rights supporters have suspected all along: Abortion opponents helped him craft the ballot language in a way meant to benefit their campaign to defeat the measure.

• LaRose also chairs the Ohio Ballot Board, a state panel tasked with writing the language voters see on their ballots when they decide whether to support or oppose a ballot measure.

• In response to a question about specifics in the amendment language, LaRose said his office consulted with three prominent anti-abortion groups that led the anti-Issue 1 campaign – Susan B. Anthony Pro Life America, the Center for Christian Virtue and Ohio Right to Life – as it crafted the ballot language. All three groups played central roles in leading and funding Protect Women Ohio, the main anti-Issue 1 campaign group.

• But the summary must be accurate, can’t omit key information and can’t amount to a persuasive argument for or against the measure, according to state law and numerous state court rulings.

• After Ohioans approved the measure 57%-43% earlier this month, the Issue 1 campaign described overcoming efforts by LaRose and other Ohio Republicans who used their elected positions to try to defeat the measure. One of those facets included the ballot language LaRose and other Republicans approved in August, prompting a lawsuit shortly afterward from the pro-Issue 1 campaign.

• LaRose has faced other criticism from across the political spectrum for his role in the chain of events leading to Issue 1′s passage this month. He also was a lead proponent of setting an August vote on a different ballot issue that would have blocked Issue 1 from passing by requiring it to get 60% of the vote in order to pass. Voters rejected that measure by a similar margin to the “yes” vote on Issue 1 in November.

• Bernie Moreno, one of LaRose’s Republican opponents, meanwhile has accused LaRose of messing up the Issue 1 campaign by making a public comment explicitly tying the measure to abortion, providing a sound bite that eventually made its way into a campaign commercial from the campaign that defeated the 60% measure in August.

###

LaRose Admits To Working With Special Interest Groups to Rewrite State Issue 1 Ballot Language and Intentionally Mislead Voters

Columbus, OH – A new must read report from Cleveland.com exposes how Frank LaRose put his thumb on the scale to ban abortion by rewriting the ballot language for State Issue 1 to be intentionally misleading. LaRose has already said he would overrule the majority of Ohioans who voted to protect reproductive rights this month by voting for a national abortion ban. 

Read more: 

Cleveland.com: Secretary of State Frank LaRose says abortion opponents helped craft ballot language to aid defeat of Issue 1

Andrew Tobias

November 29, 2023

• Secretary of State Frank LaRose offered an unusually blunt assessment while defending the ballot language he helped write for state Issue 1, the abortion-rights ballot measure that voters approved earlier this month, to a conservative critic at a local Republican Party event.

• In doing so, LaRose confirmed something that abortion-rights supporters have suspected all along: Abortion opponents helped him craft the ballot language in a way meant to benefit their campaign to defeat the measure.

• LaRose also chairs the Ohio Ballot Board, a state panel tasked with writing the language voters see on their ballots when they decide whether to support or oppose a ballot measure.

• In response to a question about specifics in the amendment language, LaRose said his office consulted with three prominent anti-abortion groups that led the anti-Issue 1 campaign – Susan B. Anthony Pro Life America, the Center for Christian Virtue and Ohio Right to Life – as it crafted the ballot language. All three groups played central roles in leading and funding Protect Women Ohio, the main anti-Issue 1 campaign group.

• But the summary must be accurate, can’t omit key information and can’t amount to a persuasive argument for or against the measure, according to state law and numerous state court rulings.

• After Ohioans approved the measure 57%-43% earlier this month, the Issue 1 campaign described overcoming efforts by LaRose and other Ohio Republicans who used their elected positions to try to defeat the measure. One of those facets included the ballot language LaRose and other Republicans approved in August, prompting a lawsuit shortly afterward from the pro-Issue 1 campaign.

• LaRose has faced other criticism from across the political spectrum for his role in the chain of events leading to Issue 1′s passage this month. He also was a lead proponent of setting an August vote on a different ballot issue that would have blocked Issue 1 from passing by requiring it to get 60% of the vote in order to pass. Voters rejected that measure by a similar margin to the “yes” vote on Issue 1 in November.

• Bernie Moreno, one of LaRose’s Republican opponents, meanwhile has accused LaRose of messing up the Issue 1 campaign by making a public comment explicitly tying the measure to abortion, providing a sound bite that eventually made its way into a campaign commercial from the campaign that defeated the 60% measure in August.

###

LaRose Still Refusing to Disclose Financial Information More Than Two Weeks Past Deadline

Columbus, OH – Frank LaRose is now fifteen days past the U.S. Senate Ethics Committee’s deadline to file his personal financial disclosure and is still not answering questions about self-funding $250,000 after mocking his opponents for their wealth. LaRose may not think the rules apply to him, but Ohioans deserve answers.

Questions Frank LaRose must answer after refusing to follow the rules, self-funding $250,000, and withholding his required financial disclosure:

• In July, you said “I’m the only one in the race that isn’t a millionaire…So I’m going to do this the old-fashioned way, the entrepreneurial way,” but you then self-funded $250,000 – what changed?

• You’ve mocked your opponents by calling them “rich guys [trying to] buy a [Senate] seat” and claiming to be the only “thousandaire” in this race, but you’ve dodged questions about self-funding your campaign $250,000 and blew past the November 14th deadline to disclose your own finances – why won’t you be transparent with Ohioans after you’ve attacked your opponents for their wealth?

• You oversee campaign finance compliance in Ohio, yet you are refusing to follow federal ethics rules and are now over two weeks past the deadline to file your financial disclosure with the U.S. Senate Ethics Committee – why do you think the rules don’t apply to you?

What Ohioans are reading recently about LaRose believing the rules don’t apply to him: 

• Ohio Capital Journal: “Despite that 90-day reprieve, LaRose has yet to file. The Ohio Capital Journal reached out to his campaign to see if the report has been filed but not yet posted or if the campaign has requested a further extension. The campaign did not respond…LaRose’s failure to file thus far is particularly notable given a $250,000 personal loan he made to his campaign in September.”

• Heartland Signal: “Candidates are required to publicly disclose their finances within 30 days of announcing their candidacy. LaRose announced his run for Senate on July 17 and subsequently asked for an extension on his filing on Aug 9. Despite an extra 90 days, LaRose again blew past his deadline on Nov. 14.”

• Ohio Capital Journal: “LaRose’s campaign didn’t respond to a request for more information about the source of his loan, but it seems like a substantial sum given his current state salary income.” [10/20/23]

• Tribune Chronicle: “I questioned how LaRose could come up with $250,000 out of his pocket for his Senate campaign. But Ben Kindel, his campaign spokesman, didn’t respond to my numerous inquiries.” [10/20/23]

• Cleveland.com: “Secretary of State Frank LaRose has gently mocked his wealthy opponents in March’s Republican Senate primary election by referring to himself as a humble ‘thousandaire.’ But the public will have to wait for details that could shed more light on LaRose’s financial situation, as a federal deadline for a mandatory financial disclosure passed Tuesday without a report from LaRose.

###