COLUMBUS, Ohio—The group that unsuccessfully pushed for a referendum overturning Ohio’s nuclear bailout law missed a state deadline last week to disclose its campaign donors and spending activity, according to Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office.
However, it remains to be seen whether the group, Ohioans Against Corporate Bailouts, will be penalized for missing the reporting deadline, as state officials in general give ample opportunity for political organizations to file late before imposing fines.
The group, along with other political organizations, had until last Friday to submit its campaign-finance information for 2019.
Under state law, if LaRose’s office (or another outside party) files a complaint with the Ohio Elections Commission about a group that won’t submit a campaign-finance report, the OEC is allowed to fine the group as much as $100 per day until the group complies. In practice, however, the OEC rarely imposes fines that heavy, especially against first-time offenders like Ohioans Against Corporate Bailouts, according to OEC officials.
LaRose spokeswoman Maggie Sheehan said in a statement that the secretary of state’s office "will be reaching out to give them the opportunity to submit a report.”
Sheehan continued: “If there comes a determination that the committee will not be submitting the appropriate report, our office will refer the campaign committee to the Ohio Elections Commission for their consideration.”
A spokesman for Ohioans Against Corporate Bailouts didn’t return a phone call seeking comment Monday.
Ohioans Against Corporate Bailouts was created last summer as state lawmakers gave final approval to House Bill 6, which offers billions in ratepayer subsidies to nuclear and coal power plants, as well as six planned solar power projects, and gutted Ohio’s renewable-energy and energy-efficiency mandates for utilities.
The group, headed by veteran ballot-issue consultant Brandon Lynaugh, was backed by a number of environmental, business, and small-government groups.
The group deployed petition gatherers around the state and launched a TV ad campaign, but it failed to collect the needed 265,774 signatures by the October 2019 deadline, as pro-HB6 forces spent millions on TV ads and “blockers” who followed, encircled, harassed, and (in a couple cases) physically hit petition gatherers.
Ohioans Against Corporate Bailouts went to court to seek more time to collect signatures, but it gave up that attempt last month.
The main pro-HB6 organization, Ohioans for Energy Security, is registered as a private LLC in a way that allows it to avoid disclosing its campaign-finance activity.
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