Engler’s campaign finance report is intriguing

Campaign finance reports can shed a lot of light on a politician. Let’s take David Engler, for example. Why? Because his report is rather strange.

Engler, a former Mahoning County commissioner and current member of the county educational service center board, sought the appointment of the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus late last year to a Senate seat being vacated at the time by John Boccieri.

Engler was the No. 1 choice of the Mahoning County Democratic Party to fi ll the seat and serve out the remainder of Boccieri’s term, which expires Dec. 31, 2010. Boccieri quit the post to serve as a congressman.

Engler’s path to the position was derailed when caucus members learned of his public reprimand in August 2006 by the Ohio Supreme Court. The appointment instead went to Joe Schiavoni, an attorney with no political experience.

Engler’s campaign fi nance report details what he was doing at the time.

Engler received two contributions in early December: $1,000 from David Betras, now the Mahoning County Democratic chairman, on Dec. 4, the day an article about Engler’s reprimand was published in The Vindicator; and $2,500 from John Reardon’s campaign fund on Dec. 6. Reardon is a former county treasurer who is now the state superintendent of fi nancial institutions.

Why Engler needed money is lost on me.

It wasn’t a public vote so he didn’t need money to tout his candidacy. The decision was made by the four leaders of the Senate Democratic Caucus and confi rmed by its theneven other members.

Betras said Engler told him that a lot of people had contributed. Engler said he never told Betras that.

Reardon said he doesn’t recall if Engler said he had several other contributors.

“I certainly did get the impression he was raising money,” Reardon said. “He asked for my help to defray his expenses.” So what were Engler’s expenses?

The day he received Betras’ $1,000 contribution, Engler gave himself $500 to repay part of a loan he’d given his campaign. Engler also used at least $850 more to repay loans he gave to his campaign.

As for actual expenses related to his failed Senate appointment, Engler spent a bit more than $500 for travel expenses to Columbus.

Engler gave $500 to Matthew Blair, an attorney in Niles, on Dec. 15, three days before Schiavoni was appointed, for a “professional opinion” on the appointment process. Engler also paid $500 on Nov. 26 to Herman Hill of Youngstown, a former Youngstown councilman who is politically active, for “consulting services.”

“These were necessary expenses for my campaign,” Engler said.

To add to the fun, Betras recently asked Engler to contribute to his major Aug. 20 fundaising event that will include appearances by nearly every major Democratic official in the state. Tickets are $500 with another $500 to attend a private meet-and-greet.

Despite Betras’ $1,000 contribution to Engler’s failed campaign, Engler is skipping the big event.

Betras’ initial comment was: “I asked for him to give to my fundraiser and he said, ‘no.’ How do you like that?”

He later softened his statement by saying Engler remains a supporter of the local party and plans to contribute in the future.

As for Schiavoni, he didn’t do too bad raising money for a political rookie.

He raised $37,795 during the fi rst six months of this year. That’s not bad when you compare him to the Valley’s two other state senators: Minority Leader Capri Cafaro who raised $41,750 and Minority Assistant Whip Jason Wilson who raised $32,140.

Unlike Cafaro, Wilson and nearly all other state legislators, a majority of Schiavoni’s major donors weren’t political action committees.

His biggest and first contributor was Sep Kamvar of San Francisco, a former engineering leader for Google who helped create some of the company’s most innovative programs. Kamvar, who gave $5,000, is married to one of Schiavoni’s fi rst cousins.

Schiavoni also isn’t playing favorites in the battle for the Democratic nominee for U.S. senator between Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher and Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner. He contributed $250 to both candidates.