Author: Brian Ball

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The November 19  vote of congressional Democrats to pass the Build Back Better Act cornucopia of social spending and policies unleashed a wave of criticism from Ohio’s GOP U.S. representatives united in a fear of unbridled inflation and an expanded federal government.

U.S. Representative Brad Wenstrup (R-OH-02) criticized the $1.85 trillion package – even at half of its original cost – as “Build Back Broke” for its effect on the national debt while U.S. Representative Robert Latta (R-OH-05) called House Resolution 5376 a “wish-list spending spree” by Democrats.

The leadership of the Ohio Republican Party has  taken away the board subcommitee assignments of several State Central Committee members who have questioned the accounting standards and management actions of management during the last months.

The sidelining of the six members elected by GOP voters comes ahead of a Dec. 3 quarterly State Central Committee meeting that may include the state GOP’s panel’s consideration of endorsing Ohio Governor Mike DeWine ahead of the May 3 primary election.

U.S. Representative Dave Joyce has introduced legislation designed to hold Big Tech media companies accountable for their so-called website moderation policies which doesn’t silence conservative voices in the virtual marketplace of ideas.

Joyce (R-OH-14) joined Representatives Tom Rice (R-SC-07) and Ralph Norman (R-SC-05) on November 1 in introducing the Promoting Responsibility Over Moderation in the Social Media Environment (or PROMISE) Act, a bill designed to hold Big Tech companies accountable for their pledges to keep their content moderation policies and enforcement free of political bias.

A former co-campaign manager for Ohio gubernatorial candidate Joe Blystone has filed a complaint with the Ohio Elections Commission (OEC) that alleges the candidate purposely underreported cash contributions, failed to disclose the names of those contributors in campaign finance reports, and that “these cash contributions are being reported in this manner in order to facilitate a theft of these campaign funds by the respondents.”

The former co-campaign manager, Sarah Chambers, filed the complaint, OEC Case #2021G-022, on October 28 supported by affidavits of other former staff and volunteers who claim they also witnessed the collection of cash donations not properly recorded at the expressed direction of the Blystone campaign leadership.

An antiquated IT system pushed into overdrive when businesses were ordered shut down at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic helped fuel as much as $3.3 billion in unemployment overpayments and $475 million in criminal fraud activity at the Ohio Department of Family Services.

Ohio Auditor Keith Faber on Thursday released the full audit following an investigation launched after the department’s previous management initially failed to disclose risk factors and the magnitude of  fraud in the unemployment system as the number of Ohioans filing claims quickly  rose to record levels.

The vast majority of Ohio’s 11 GOP congressional delegates have signed on as co-sponsors of a House resolution opposing a proposal granting the Internal Revenue expanded power to reach into the private financial transaction records of Americans’ financial accounts.

The wall of support for House Resolution 5586, filed Oct. 15 by U.S. Representative Drew Ferguson IV, R-GA-3, comes even as the Biden Admnistration modified an earlier policy proposal that critics have said would have covered nearly anyone with a financial account as it seeks to catch taxpayers underreporting income.

Rookie GOP candidate Mike Carey has taken a comfortable lead in a recent poll heading into the last 10 days of the special election for Ohio’s 15th congressional district, a seat that opened up in May when newly re-elected U.S. Represenative Steve Stivers stepped down for a job in the private sector.

But the Republican nominee who emerged from a crowded early August primary continues to press on in a bid to keep the solid conservative district  for the GOP amid a contentious political environment in Washington, D.C.

A super PAC supporting the GOP nomination of venture capitalist and author J.D. Vance for U.S. Senator  has released a poll showing the rookie candidate narrowing the gap with the rival campaign of former Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel.

The crowded 2022 nomination race to replace retiring U.S. Senator Rob Portman, R-OH, remains fluid with more than 40 percent of those polled earlier this week still undecided with a little more than six months to go before the Republican  primary election.

The campaign of GOP gubernatorial challenger Joe Blystone has announced running mate Joanna Swallen has left the campaign.

Blystone, a Canal Winchester rancher, and Swallen, owner of a Canton restaurant, cited “personal reasons” in a joint statement posted on the campaign’s Facebook page on Sept. 15.