Ginther and others being investigated by Ohio Ethics Commission
The Ohio Ethics Commission is investigating Columbus City Council President Andrew Ginther along with three other current and former members of council.
The Columbus Dispatch reports that the panel is examining a trip that Ginther took with three other council members (Eileen Paley, Shannon Hardin and Michelle Mills) to last year’s Big Ten Championship Game with lobbyist John Raphael.
Among other companies and groups, Raphael represented Redflex, a red light camera company with city contracts. Raphael is said to have asked Redflex for donations to elected officials. Money was given from Redflex to the Ohio Democratic Party where it then went into campaign coffers for Ginther and others. Raphael agreed to plead guilty last week to an extortion charge. (Ginther has denied knowledge and involvement of Raphael’s activities and last week declared himself vindicated with announcement of the plea agreement.)
The group of council members went to the football game in Indianapolis on a chartered bus and watched from a suite. Ginther and others reimbursed Raphael $250 each for the trip…a figure estimated to be well below its value.
Mills has resigned her seat from council and dropped out of this year’s election.
Word of the investigation came on the same day that Ginther proposed ethics reforms for city leaders.
Andrew Ginther is a candidate for Columbus mayor in this year’s election. (jj)
(photo credit: City of Columbus)
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