‘ohio strong’ 10 firms with treasurer award give to Republican candidates

Associated Press

COLUMBUS

Executives of 10 of 17 manufacturing companies whose workers have won a new award established by Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel have donated to Republican candidates, including Mandel himself, an Associated Press review has found.

Award recipients themselves are mostly registered Democrats or independents, and many belong to Democratic-leaning unions.

Campaign-finance filings reviewed by the AP show Mandel’s re-election campaign received donations from executives at three of the firms within weeks of their skilled-trades employees being recognized. One executive said his contribution was solicited.

The findings raise questions about whether Mandel is using the nonmonetary Ohio Strong Award he launched in March to reward and attract political contributors as he faces Democratic state Rep. Connie Pillich this fall.

Mandel said Thursday that any cross-section of American businesses tends to lean Republican at the top and that’s not what the program is about. He said politics “never, never” came up in the award selection.

“I’m sick and tired of CEOs and executives always getting the credit when companies are doing well, and I think it’s about time that we recognize the workers who are actually operating machines and working on the floor of the plants,” he said. The treasurer’s office says it used a nonpartisan list of manufacturers provided by a national organization, word-of-mouth recommendations and eventually online nominations to pick winners.

Mandel launched the program March 24 — citing a “quiet crisis” of disappearing skilled workers — and gave the first awards that same day, after cold-calling companies. Winners get plant visits by Mandel, a written commendation and almost always local newspaper coverage.

Mandel honored 49 individuals at 15 companies before an unsolicited online nominee was chosen. Spokesman Chris Berry said 11 online nominees now have been selected and that taxpayer costs for the program are minimal.