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Mahoning Republican chairman files complaint against Tim Ryan over ‘minor infraction’
YOUNGSTOWN
Mahoning County Republican Party Chairman Mark Munroe filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission against the campaign committee of U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-13th, for what Munroe says is a “minor infraction.”
Ryan acknowledged the error and said it will be “fixed immediately.”
Ryan’s committee failed to place a box around the “Paid for by Tim Ryan for Congress” disclaimer at the bottom of a piece of campaign literature.
Ryan, of Howland, is being challenged in the November general election by Republican Chris DePizzo of Cuyahoga Falls.
“Ryan’s campaign has apparently been forced to scramble to create literature in order to respond to the grass-roots energy of Chris DePizzo’s campaign,” Munroe said.
Ryan said he was “grateful” to Munroe for “pointing out the error.”
Munroe said he filed the complaint Wednesday because county Democratic Chairman David Betras filed one Monday with the Ohio Elections Commission alleging Michael Rulli, the Republican nominee for the 33rd Ohio Senate District seat, is making improper corporate contributions to his campaign.
Betras accused Rulli of using his family’s grocery stores in Boardman and Austintown to distribute yard signs and other campaign materials.
Rulli said candidates are constitutionally protected by the right to free speech to give out campaign materials and the law cited in the complaint doesn’t apply to handing out yard signs.
“David Betras said, ‘If you can’t follow the rules, you can’t be a lawmaker,’” Munroe said. “Tim Ryan’s not following the rules.”
Betras said Munroe is “just showing how desperate” he is. “This is about as fake a complaint as it gets. I’m glad [Munroe] is waking up though. I enjoy the contest.”