Miscellaneous

Ohio Adopts Rules for Corporate Political Expenditures.

By The Pullins Group LLC

From my inbox:

COLUMBUS, Ohio ? As she prepares to leave office at the end of next week, Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner announced permanent rules recently approved by the Ohio Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review that address the impact of the "Citizens United" case in Ohio.

?The Citizens United case now allows corporations to make independent expenditures for and against candidates in state and federal campaigns,? said Secretary Brunner. ?I am pleased that Ohio has in place new rules so Ohioans will know who is trying to influence their votes in Ohio elections.?

The new rules will impact campaign expenditures by corporations, nonprofit corporations and labor organizations in several ways:

-   Corporations, nonprofit corporations and labor organizations will have to disclose the amounts they spend and to whom for independent campaign ads for or against a candidate or committee.

-  Corporations, nonprofit corporations and labor organizations will have to include their Internet web addresses in their ads so voters can learn more about them.

-  Corporations, nonprofit corporations and labor organizations must disclose the fact that their independent campaign ads have not been authorized by a candidate or committee.

-  Independent campaign expenditures by corporations and businesses owned 20 percent or more by foreign citizens are prohibited.

-  Corporations and businesses that have been awarded state or federal money through Ohio will not be allowed to influence Ohio elections with independent expenditures within a year of the award.

-  When the rules are violated, the Secretary of State will be able to pursue violations through means such as subpoenas, investigations and referral of complaints to the Ohio Elections Commission.

For information about the new rules approved by the Ohio Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review, click here.

Media Contacts:
Kevin Kidder, Media Relations Coordinator (614) 995-2168
Luisa Barone, Communications & Media Specialist (614) 466-7691

Full post as published by The Pullins Report on December 29, 2010 (boomark / email).