Report: Ohio rep gives illegal donation to his own gubernatorial campaign

Ohio Rep. Jim Renacci’s federal campaign committee made an illegal contribution of $12,707 to his 2018 campaign for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, according to The Columbus Dispatch. 

The office of Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted confirmed to the Dispatch that the donation, disclosed in the campaign’s finance report filed to the office on Monday, was improper under state law. 

Husted is running against Renacci for the GOP nomination for governor. Current Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s (R) term expires in 2019. 

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A spokesman from the Renacci campaign told the paper that the contribution was legal, given that it was made by a political action committee (PAC) created by Renacci’s congressional campaign, and did not violate the law’s prohibition of “transfer of any funds or assets.” 

Ohio state law prohibits a federal officeholder from transferring funds from their federal campaign committee into their campaign committee for state office. 

According to Renacci spokesman James Slepian, the federal campaign filed the proper PAC registration paperwork necessary to make the contribution, and said the campaign received confirmation from Husted’s office that the contribution was legal before they transferred the funds. 

Renacci, a wealthy businessman who supports many of President Trump’s policies, loaned $4 million of his own money to his campaign to compete with two other prominent Republicans in the bid to succeed Kasich.