BOARDMAN Campaign loan to Cox scrutinized

The elections board plans to investigate and will probably forward the results to the Ohio Elections Commission.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
BOARDMAN -- When Boardman Trustee John Cox unsuccessfully ran for Mahoning County commissioner in 1996, he listed a $12,300 loan from himself to his committee on his campaign finance report.
In late 1997, nearly a year after his defeat, Cox filed an amended campaign finance report and the $12,300 loan from himself was replaced by a $12,677 loan to the committee given by Cox's son, who was a medical student at the time. That amended report also states that Cox's son forgave repayment of the loan from his father's committee.
After questions about the 1996 loan were raised by Samuel Moffie, one of Cox's opponents for trustee in the Nov. 6 election, Cox admitted neither he nor his son lent the committee that money. Cox's admission has drawn interest from the county board of elections, which wants to investigate why he did not disclose the source of the loan until now.
Cox said the money came from John J. Ridel, a Boardman businessman who was appointed in 1990 by trustees -- including Cox -- to the township's civil service commission. Even though Cox knew he would use the money for his commissioner campaign and assumed Ridel knew it as well, he did not list it on his campaign report because he considered it a personal loan and not one to his committee.
Response to reporter: When initially asked by The Vindicator about the loan, Cox said he knew nothing about it. He also said his son was a medical student in 1996 and could not have afforded to lend him more than $12,000.
After reviewing his records, he said the money came from Ridel, but insisted his son's name was not on his campaign reports as holding the loan. When shown that the amended report listed his son as the lender, Cox said his son guaranteed the loan, which was forgiven and not paid back.
"I'm guilty of being a lousy bookkeeper," said Cox. "I plead guilty to that. My son guaranteed a note. I'm not explaining it. I'm not explaining another damn thing."
Elections board plans: Michael Sciortino, elections board director, said the agency will ask Cox to file a second amended campaign finance report disclosing that Ridel gave him the money. Also, the board plans to investigate whether Cox violated any elections laws and in all likelihood will forward the information to the Ohio Elections Commission, Sciortino said.
"If we become aware of something done improperly, the board can conduct a preliminary investigation of the facts," said Mark Munroe, elections board chairman. "If we find an infraction, we can recommend that the Ohio Elections Commission investigate it."
Until the investigation is complete, it cannot be determined if Cox broke the law by not disclosing where the loan originally came from, Sciortino said.
Attempts to reach Ridel for a comment were unsuccessful.
Opponent's view: Moffie urges the board of elections to forward the information about Cox's loan not only to the elections commission, but also to the county prosecutor's office.
"Campaign finance reports are very important documents, and Cox falsified his," Moffie said. "He tried to hide the fact that he got a loan from an appointee. The civil service commission is a very powerful committee. This stinks to high heaven."
Cox said he did nothing illegal by accepting a loan from Ridel for his 1996 campaign.
skolnick@vindy.com