14TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Officials to Cafaro: Amend report

By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Federal Election Commission plans to ask Capri Cafaro, the Democratic candidate for the 14th Congressional District seat, to amend her latest campaign finance report because of errors in the document.
A review of Cafaro's report by The Vindicator showed that she accepted too much money from her sister, Renee, for expenses, and for debts and obligations.
"It sounds like they did something wrong," said Bob Biersackl, an FEC spokesman. "It would be something we'd ask to correct."
FEC officials didn't catch the problem, Biersackl said, because congressional candidates filed reports a week ago, and the agency hasn't had a chance to review each report. If an amended report is filed, there should be no further action by the FEC against the campaign.
Contributed by sister
Renee Cafaro of Liberty contributed $20,385.13 to her sister's congressional campaign for a variety of expenses including travel, room rental, campaign training, computer software, office supplies, shipping, postage and printing.
Because she is an unpaid volunteer for her sister's campaign, she can give only $2,000 per election cycle to the campaign under FEC rules, Biersackl said.
Mike Cook, Cafaro's spokesman, said campaign staff members are constantly on the telephone with FEC officials, sometimes as much as four to five times a day, to discuss what can and cannot be done with campaign finances, and were never told there was a problem with Renee Cafaro's contributions.
"If there is any confusion, we'll do what the FEC tells us," he said. "If they tell us to do an amended report, we'll do that."
Reimbursement made
Also, Cook said, the campaign already reimbursed Renee Cafaro the money she lent the campaign.
"It's a serious allegation that should be looked into by federal election officials," said Dino DiSanto, campaign spokesman for incumbent U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette. "When we looked at her report, it was more confusing than an Enron spreadsheet."
Capri Cafaro, of Hunting Valley and formerly of Liberty, gave $503,760 of her own money to the campaign as of June 30. She comes from one of the Mahoning Valley's most well-known and wealthiest families.
The race pitting Cafaro against LaTourette, a Concord Township Republican, is expected to be the most expensive in the state and is considered among the few competitive congressional elections in Ohio. The district includes seven northern townships in Trumbull County.
LaTourette's campaign fund is at $1,113,677 as of June 30, the most of any member of Congress representing the Mahoning and Shenango valleys and their challengers. Cafaro's campaign fund balance of June 30 was $307,888. Cafaro plans to raise as much money as LaTourette "down to the penny," Cook said.
skolnick@vindy.com