Ohio campaign contributions 2010-12
CheckSmart $110,883
Cash America $68,300
Ace Cash Express $49,555
QC Holdings $27,575
Advance America $16,500
Total $272,813
Backed by payday loan contributions
These are the state-level politicians whose campaigns have received the most donations from PACs representing payday lenders from 2010 through mid-October of 2012. All nine are Republicans.
Gov. John Kasich/Mary Taylor $27,500
State Sen. Tom Niehaus*1 $18,250
State Rep. Bill Batchelder*2 $17,000
State Sen. Keith Faber*3 $16,550
State Sen. Bill Coley*4 $15,388
State Sen. Chris Widener*5 $15,000
Treasurer Josh Mandel $10,500
State Sen. Jim Hughes*6 $8,700
State Sen. Bill Seitz $8,150
1 – President of the Senate
2 – Speaker of the House
3 – President pro tempore of the Senate
4 – Chairman of government oversight and reform committee
5 – Chairman of finance committee
6 – Chairman of financial institutions committee
Source: Dayton Daily News analysis of campaign finance filings with the Ohio Secretary of State
Payday lenders, who operate under rules established by lawmakers, have donated more than a quarter of a million dollars to the campaigns of Ohio politicians.
Five companies – CheckSmart, Cash America, Ace Cash Express, Advance America and QC Holdings (Quik Cash) – had donated $272,813 from 2010 through mid-October, according to a Dayton Daily News examination.
The political action committee of Gov. John Kasich was the top recipient, at $27,500. The next five, all receiving at least $15,000, are members of the Republican leadership of the Ohio House and Ohio Senate.
That includes Sen. Chris Widener, who actually introduced the 2008 law that cracked down on payday lenders, plus Speaker of the House Bill Batchelder, who voted in support of a 2010 bill that would have closed the loopholes that allow payday lenders to keep charging annual percentage rates of almost 400 percent.
Many of the companies stayed in business after re-registering under different lending laws.
“One of the things I always find interesting is that legislators continue to accept the money,” said Catherine Turcer, executive director of Common Cause Ohio, a consumer interest group. “There’s so much pressure on candidates to raise money so that they can be viable, that they’ll take contributions from anyone. It’s really important for all Ohioans to follow the dollars and see if these contributions are affecting policy.”
Widener, R-Springfield, has been chairman of the Senate Finance Committee for the past two years, and has accepted $15,000 in contributions from multiple payday lenders. He was asked whether campaign cash has any influence on payday lenders’ continued operation in Ohio.
“My record of introducing legislation on this industry speaks for itself,” Widener said. “That would be my only comment.”
Turcer said payday lenders wouldn’t make campaign contributions unless they believed it was a worthwhile investment.
“It is impossible to know exactly how this money influences legislators,” Turcer said. “What we can say is, look at the kind of (bills) that pass or don’t pass.”
The 2010 bill aimed at closing the loopholes that payday lenders use passed the Ohio House, but didn’t even get a committee hearing in the Senate.
“This industry does the same thing that millions of companies and millions of people across this country do,” said Patrick Crowley, spokesman for the Ohio Consumer Lenders Association, which represents payday lenders. “Under full campaign finance laws, the companies and the industry make contributions to elected officials. And we feel we’re participating in the political process.”
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