#OHSEN Slugfest: Jabs Thrown and More Questions Raised About LaRose’s Growing Scandal
September 15, 2023
Columbus, OH – The #OHSEN field had their hands full this week as more jabs were thrown and more questions were raised about LaRose’s latest scandal: moving his official Secretary of State office to the same building as his campaign – costing taxpayers $600,000.
Here’s what you missed this week in what has already been called one of the “messiest, “most expensive” and “bruising” primary battles in the country.
MORE JABS THROWN IN #OHSEN SLUGFEST
This slugfest is as nasty as ever as more jabs were thrown this week. Frank LaRose, during an official press conference, took a shot at his opponents, claiming: “I’m not sure it’s a very competitive primary. I’m the clear frontrunner in that election.”
MORE QUESTIONS RAISED ABOUT LAROSE’S LATEST SCANDAL
LaRose owes Ohioans answers about his decision to move the Secretary of State Office – for the first time in nearly 20 years – to the same building as his Senate Campaign, a move that is costing taxpayers $600,000.
LaRose claimed that his decision to move the Ohio Secretary of State’s office to the same building that currently houses his campaign is “completely incidental,” but his office has failed to provide a detailed reason for why, of the hundreds of other buildings in the Columbus area and the three other buildings considered for the move, this building was chosen.
While LaRose dodges questions, it’s becoming more and more clear that he will do whatever it takes to advance his political career, regardless of how much it hurts – or costs – Ohioans.
READ / WATCH / LISTEN TO MORE:
WTVN: “Democrats questioning a move today by Ohio Secretary of State. Frank LaRose is relocating his state office into the same building that houses his campaign. LaRose is running for Senate in Ohio and says this move will save $11,000 a year in rent but the cost of relocating his office is $600,000 up front so it would take over 50 years to recover that money.”
Ohio Capital Journal: “As secretary of state, LaRose is Ohio’s top elections administrator. His ability to do that job impartially has been called into question for several reasons.”
WCMH: “[Frank LaRose’s] new office location will be at the same address he filed his Senate campaign run under with the Federal Election Commission and it will cost $600,000 taxpayer dollars to ready the new office for that move… NBC4 has asked his campaign several times, this and last week, to confirm whether LaRose has done any campaign interviews from that address. They have not yet responded to that question.”
WCMH: “[LaRose’s] staffers say they considered three other buildings. NBC4 asked why none of those were chosen, but we have not heard back.”
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Delaney Marsco, senior legal counsel for ethics at the Campaign Legal Center on Frank LaRose: “That’s where my ethics red flags would go up… There’s a real concern about co-mingling the official business that he’s supposed to be doing on behalf of all people of Ohio and then the work that he’s doing as a candidate for Senate.”
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