In a move that rivals the incompetence of their one-time desire to name former Congressman Bob McEwen (aka Bouncin' Bob) as Spokesman of the Ohio Republican Party, Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Bennett just named former lobbyist for the gay rights group "Equality Ohio" - Matt Borges -- as their new Executive Director.
And with Bennett's upcoming retirement as Chairman of the Ohio Republican Party, ALL of Ohio's State-wide office holders have signed a letter sent by Bennett to members of the ORP State Central Committee in support of Borges as his successor....
From the Columbus Dispatch --
From Gov. John Kasich to Treasurer Josh Mandel to U.S. Sen. Rob Portman; from U.S. House Speaker John Boehner to Ohio House Speaker William G. Batchelder, all of Ohio’s statewide nonjudicial elected Republicans as well as the state’s leading GOP lawmakers signed a letter endorsing Matt Borges as the state party’s next chairman.While one concern should immediately be that Borges was a lobbyist for an agenda driven group that promote policy that counters the Ohio Republican Party platform (and probably the platform of every State & County GOP organization across the country), another concern should be Borges' 2004 guilty plea to one count of illegal use of public office....
The letter was sent this morning to each of the Ohio Republican Party’s 66 central committee members. The party’s current chairman, Robert T. Bennett, will retire May 31.
“The Ohio Republican Party is an invaluable resource for all of our races,” said the letter, signed by Secretary of State Jon Husted, Senate President Keith Faber of Celina and Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, among others. “Moving forward, we need Matt Borges as chairman of the Ohio Republican Party to give us the best chance of continuing Ohio’s comeback.”
The letter would appear to head off the turmoil and nastiness that led to Bennett’s re-installment as chairman after a previous retirement last year. Kasich successfully drove then-chairman Kevin DeWine from power in 2012 after a long, ugly power struggle.
Borges is currently the party’s executive director. The letter praises his “ability to raise money, organize volunteers, and effectively manage large organizations” and says now “it’s time to stand behind him.”
A former chief of staff and fund-raiser for Ohio Treasurer Joe Deters pleaded guilty yesterday to charges in a "pay-to-play " scandal that could imperil Mr. Deters' political career.It should be noted that one of the brokers that received special treatment was the former Cleveland Branch Chief with Lehman Bros. Holdings Inc. and SG Cowen & Co., convicted broker Frank Gruttadauria.
Matt Borges, who was Mr. Deters' chief of staff from 1999 to 2001 and a key campaign staff member, pleaded guilty to one count of improper use of a public office.
Mr. Borges was fined $1,000 by Judge Eileen Gallagher of Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, but he could have faced six months in jail along with the fine.
Mr. Borges was charged with giving 10 brokers who had contributed to Mr. Deters' campaign fund an advantage in getting contracts with the treasurer's office. The treasurer is the state's chief investment officer. (Toledo Blade)
Gruttadauria, who besides bilking clients out of over $125 million, plead guilty to bribing or offering money to someone connected with Mr. Deters' office from March, 1999, to January, 2002, to get business from the treasurer's office. During this time Gruttadauria employers made a combined $5.9 billion in investment trades with the Treasurer's office.
In conclusion, that Borges is a lobbyist for a gay rights group, doesn't mean he supports gay rights, it shows he is willing to push the agenda of anybody with the money to pay him.
And the fact that Borges has plead guilty to pay to play type schemes, show's as ORP Chairman, he will be more beholden to donors with the largest check and his lobbyist/consultant class friends and not to the rank & file conservatives and grassroots groups across the state.
Obviously, the Ohio Republican Party learned nothing from the beating they took in the Romney election and Mandel election here in Ohio.
Sadly this does not surprise me at all. While in Ashland County we had a great former Chairman who really did want to include people and grow the party. But others decided that the people who wanted to move forward and actually do politicking were unacceptable because it would ruin the little social club that had evolved. They ran the workers out who then formed a Coalition and opened their own headquarters and ended up doing much more for the community in the 2012 election than the Party did. Sadly the ACRP still thinks they are better off without the people who worked so hard for them in the past.
ReplyDeleteI really see the ORP now as no different - they are a little social club that only wants their approved members to do their bidding and are not really concerned with the state or the state of the country.
Where there's smoke there's fire: http://www.examiner.com/article/opeditude-ohio-tea-party-s-2014-challenge-break-kasich-or-be-broken-forever
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