Ex-campaign treasurer charged with theft

COLUMBUS (AP) -- A former political campaign treasurer was indicted Tuesday on charges of embezzling more than $220,000 from eight candidates and a political action committee.
Prosecutors said Susan Kyte, 47, of Columbus, wrote 119 checks to herself from the accounts between Dec. 22, 1998, and Feb. 2, 2004.
The indictment returned by a Franklin County grand jury charged Kyte with 19 counts including money laundering, tampering with records, election falsification and grand theft.
Of the $220,000, about $66,000 came from the campaign of state Sen. Robert Gardner of Madison, Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien said in a news release.
Prosecutors said Kyle stole almost $47,000 from state Rep. Linda Reidelbach of Columbus and $38,900 from former state Rep. Amy Salerno of Columbus, who is running for clerk of courts in Franklin County.
Kyle also embezzled $4,425 from the Ohio Republican Women's Campaign Fund, prosecutors alleged.
The indictment also charged Kyte with failure to file and filing false state income tax returns for 1999-2003.
A message seeking comment was left Tuesday evening at the office of Kyte's attorney, Mike Miller. Home and office numbers listed for Kyte were disconnected. Prosecutors said Kyte was living with relatives out of state.