FBI looks at ‘illegal’ campaign donations

Suarez employees gave $100K to 2 GOP candidates.

COLUMBUS — Federal authorities have been investigating contributions by employees of Suarez Corporation Industries to Republicans Josh Mandel and Jim Renacci, spokesmen for the two campaigns confirmed on Monday.

“The campaign is aware of the investigation and is fully cooperating. Neither the campaign nor anyone associated with it is a subject of the investigation,” Mandel campaign spokesman Travis Considine said.

The Mandel campaign is setting aside the roughly $100,000 in Suarez employee donations in a separate account pending the result of the federal investigation, Considine said. The campaign may return the money or donate it to charity.

Mandel is running against incumbent U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat. He is in his second year as state treasurer.

Renacci, R-Wadsworth, is seeking a second term in Congress and is running against incumbent Democrat Betty Sutton of Barberton in a district much changed because of redistricting.

Renacci’s chief of staff and campaign spokesman James Slepian said the U.S. Attorney’s office four or five months ago requested campaign records detailing contributions from employees of Suarez Corporation Industries. Suarez is a direct marketing firm based in Stark County owned by Ben Suarez.

“To our knowledge, no contributions were made improperly to our campaign, but if we find out at any point that donations were made improperly, we’ll refund them,” Slepian said.

The (Toledo) Blade reported in August that 17 Suarez Corporation Industries employees and some of their spouses gave a combined $100,000 to the Mandel campaign and $100,000 to the Renacci campaign. Some had never given to political campaigns before, lived in modest neighborhoods, and held job titles such as copy writer.

It raised questions about whose money was being contributed and whether it was an attempt to steer around the $5,000 contribution limit. Giving campaign money in the name of another is illegal.

Last fall, Mandel told the Dayton Daily News that his campaign expects supporters to follow the law.

“We have no reason to believe whatsoever that anyone has stepped across the letter of the law or the spirit of the law here,” he said regarding the Suarez employee contributions. “Again, these are people who are angry with the fact that Sherrod Brown has been responsible for so much job loss in the state of Ohio, and they are motivated to support us because of that.”

The New Republic reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had questioned some Suarez employees and their spouses about the donations. FBI spokeswoman Vicki Anderson declined to confirm or deny whether an investigation is ongoing.

Suarez company officials could not be reached, but Michael Puterbaugh, a company attorney, issued a statement to The Blade and The New Republic saying Suarez Corporation Industries does not respond to claims or allegations that have not been publicly filed.

Brown campaign spokeswoman Sadie Weiner said, “Josh Mandel has repeatedly demonstrated he’s nothing more than a politician who can’t be trusted, and it comes as no surprise that his campaign is now part of an investigation over what is charitably called $100,000 in questionable contributions from individuals who do not appear to have the means to make contributions of this size.”

Contact this reporter at (614) 224-1624 or lbischoff@DaytonDaily News.com.

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