<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en"> <html> TAILGATE! The Bob Taft, Republican Party Fundraising Scandal Continues... Bob Taft and the Republican Party continue to stonewall on disclosing names from their secret slush fund, stating that they won't report anything the law doesn't force them to. To date, over $2.7 million has been deposited to this secret account. "Bob Taft's acceptance of $2,688 worth of Buckeye football tickets - some of which he offered to $50,000 contributors to the Ohio Republican Party - might have violated state ethics laws regulating gifts." Columbus Dispatch, 4/27/00 "[Ohio Elections Commission] executive director, David Freel, indicated that Taft may have violated ethics laws… public officials or employees are banned from accepting gifts that could cause improper influence, nor can they accept valuable goods from those they regulate. The Plain Dealer, 4/28/00 "In the embarrassment at hand, the Republican Party - the ruling party - has been caught explicitly offering - in a fundraising brochure - 'access to GOP officeholders and candidates' in return for contributions of $25,000 that would not be made public." Dayton Daily News, 4/26/00 The Ohio Democratic Party today filed a complaint with the Ohio Ethics Commission against Bob Taft. Ohio Democratic Party Chair David J. Leland stated in a cover letter to the complaint: "Our public officials, regardless of their intent, must uphold the trust our citizens have granted them by maintaining the highest ethical standards that avoid impropriety or even the appearance of impropriety." Leland also encouraged the Ethics Commission to use their power and authority to uncover any potential ethics violations involving the Republican secret operating fund. The Team Ohio Motto: "With a $25,000 contribution to the Ohio Republican Party, all things are possible!"        </html>