Reports pose problems for Patton

The state representative also used campaign funds to repair his car.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- When it comes to campaign finance reports, the four-term state Rep. Sylvester D. Patton Jr. freely admits he hates to fill them out.
"Anything you don't like, you wait till the last minute to do," he said.
That's led to some problems, Patton said.
The Ohio Elections Commission has fined Patton of Youngstown, D-60th, twice.
The commission ordered Patton to pay a $100 fine in March for failing to file a 2004 pre-general campaign finance report electronically on a timely basis. He also paid a $100 fine in March 2002 for failing to file information about campaign contributions on his 2000 post-primary, pre-general and post-general financial reports on a timely basis.
Patton paid both fines from his campaign fund.
Patton also failed to file information about campaign contributions on his 1998 and 1999 financial reports, but the commission typically doesn't fine first-time offenders if they comply with the law after the imposed deadline, Philip C. Richter, the OEC's executive director said in 2002.
Recent filings
Patton filed pre-primary and post-primary campaign finance reports on a timely basis with the Mahoning County Board of Elections earlier this year for his failed Youngstown mayoral bid.
But he filed amended reports after the deadline -- something that is permissible -- because he failed to list major campaign contributions from J.J. Cafaro of Liberty, executive vice president of his family's multimillion-dollar retail development company.
Cafaro gave $10,000 to Patton's mayoral campaign on April 6 that wasn't included on the candidate's pre-primary report filed on the April 21 deadline. The amended report was filed May 12 with the county board.
Cafaro also gave $7,500 to Patton on May 2, the day before the Democratic primary. That contribution wasn't listed on Patton's post-primary report filed on the June 10 deadline. It didn't appear until Patton filed an amended report three days later.
The $17,500 given by Cafaro represents more than 35 percent of the money Patton raised for his failed mayoral campaign.
When asked how he forgot to list the two largest contributions his campaign received, Patton said he didn't have his paper work in order when he filed his reports.
"It's easier to file an incomplete report first and then do an amended report" with the correct information later, said Patton, who is considering a run for state Senate next year.
Patton's wife, Juanell, is his campaign treasurer.
"But she can't do anything until I give her the checks, and I don't do that on a timely basis," Patton said.
Repairs questioned
Patton also used campaign funds to pay for $1,641 in repairs to his vehicle and $300 for a set of tires between May 2004 and this past April, according to his financial reports.
Of that money, Patton used $750 for new ball joints and shocks after he said he was campaigning for mayor in April. Patton said he hit a 10-yard stretch of Glenwood Avenue filled with potholes that caused the damage.
"When you're campaigning in a car with 180,000 miles on it, you're going to have problems," he said.
The $750 expense raised a red flag at the county election board, so employees contacted the Ohio Secretary of State's Office to inquire if it was an allowable campaign-related expense.
"When I called and explained the situation, the secretary of state's office said, 'Let me guess. Sylvester Patton,'" said Scott Daisher, a county election board clerk in charge of campaign finance reports.
"We reviewed it here, and we decided we had to take his word for it. It had to be blatant [to deny Patton's use of campaign funds to pay for the work.] I could see his reasoning, but to be honest with you, I still have my skepticism about it."
Patton said the bills for the other repair work and tires were related to travel between Columbus and Youngstown as a state representative.
skolnick@vindy.com