CLEVELAND Ohio House candidate from '96 race settles his political fines with state

The fines had grown into thousands of dollars over the years.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- The state will settle a case for $500 in which it sought $59,000 from a former candidate for the Ohio House who failed to file proper paperwork.
"It's a burden off my shoulders," said Jeff McNeely, who ran an unsuccessful bid in 1996 to unseat former state Rep. Barbara Pringle, a Cleveland Democrat. "I can concentrate on the holidays with my family."
McNeely, a technician for a local phone company, is not completely satisfied, though.
He said he still paid too much for an honest mistake on his part and the missteps of Ohio agencies.
McNeely, who spent a total of $150 on his race, filed a campaign finance report with the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections but neglected to record a $32 expenditure and failed to check the "termination" box at the top of the form which would close his campaign account.
The Ohio Elections Commission, which enforces the state's campaign finance laws, fined McNeely $25 a day until he filed papers properly accounting for the $32.
Shown in review
A review of McNeely's file in October by The Plain Dealer found that the elections commission and the state's lawyers overstated his fines by about $25,000.
Even after McNeely filed the correct papers, for instance, the elections commission mistakenly continued to fine him $25 a day for another 11/2 years, boosting his fine from about $30,000 to $44,900.
The attorney trying to collect the fine then miscalculated his fees, adding another $10,000 to the fine.
Mark Gribben, a spokesman for Attorney General Jim Petro, said the office is satisfied the case is closed. Gribben said the office prefers to settle election commission cases for an amount equal to what was spent on the campaign.
Gribben said the private attorney who filed the suit "absorbed" the court costs.
McNeely, who said he will not likely seek office again, said he's learned a valuable lesson.
"It's all political," he said.