Despite starting his Senate campaign just weeks after taking office as Ohio’s Treasurer, Josh Mandel is making his campaign “official” at the Akron Press Club today – an event he initially refused to attend because he was “too busy.” The story of his campaign to this point has been nothing but embarrassing; here is a look back at some of his greatest hits.
“Mandel’s campaign to this point has been such a comedy of errors, I can’t wait to see what happens now that he is making his Senate run ‘official.’ From neglecting his Treasurer duties, to accepting questionable donations, to bungling the most basic paperwork, I suspect his incompetence will continue to entertain,” said Matt Thornton, spokesman for American Bridge 21st Century.
Mandel “Aggressively Worked” Fundraising And Speaking Tours As State Treasurer While Office Schedule Was Neglected. “During his first year as state treasurer, Ohio Republican Josh Mandel has been a man between two worlds, balancing duties of his first statewide office with a fledgling U.S. Senate campaign. Mandel has aggressively worked the fundraising and speaking circuit these past months, amassing more than $3.8 million this year in his Senate bid against Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown. That’s perhaps more than any other Senate challenger in the country. At the same time, his weekly calendars as state treasurer are almost devoid of appointments outside of staff meetings and speaking engagements. And he’s yet to hold a single news conference to discuss the work he’s doing for Ohioans.” [AP, 1/14/12]
Mandel’s First Senate Campaign Flight Occurred Less Than One Month After Taking Office As State Treasurer. “Campaign filings reviewed by The Associated Press show Mandel’s first post-inaugural campaign flight of the year may have come as early as Feb. 7, less than a month after he took office. A spokesman for his campaign declined to say who on the campaign staff took a flight logged on that date, one of several during the early months Mandel was in office. ‘During the first quarter of 2011, we tried to err on the side of caution and use campaign funds rather than taxpayer funds to pay for travel that may include both political and non-political discussions,’ said spokesman Joe Aquilino. Known locations of Mandel’s Senate fundraising destinations include Washington, D.C.; New York; San Francisco; Chicago; and Hawaii.” [AP, 1/14/12]
Campaign Material Spotted in September of 2011. The picture below was taken at a Tea Party event in early September 2011. The disclaimer at the bottom reads “Paid for by Citizens for Josh Mandel.”
February 2012: Mandel Skipped 14th Consecutive Board Of Deposit Meeting, Still Failed To Attend A Single Meeting Since Taking Office. “Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel did not attend today’s Ohio Board of Deposit meeting, the 14th consecutive such session he’s bypassed since becoming the state’s financial chief last year. In his stead, Mandel sent Seth Metcalf, his chief financial officer. Mandel’s office said Metcalf is his ‘designee’ to sit in on the board which makes decisions regarding billions of dollars in state investments. Mandel, a Republican former state legislator, has come under heavy fire from Democrats for failing to attend the monthly meetings. His predecessors as treasurer similarly skipped most of the Board of Deposit meetings, but occasionally attended in person. Mandel has never done that. In a statement, Mandel’s office said he ‘directs and empowers his staff of financial professionals who represent him on the Board of Deposit, and has full confidence in his Chief Financial Officer who serves as his designee.'” [Columbus Dispatch, 2/23/12]
Mandel Attended Campaign Fundraiser In Washington D.C. Instead Of Board Of Deposit Meeting, “Continuing His Trend Of Skipping Meetings.” “Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel was in Washington on Thursday to attend a $500-a-plate breakfast fundraiser for his U.S. Senate campaign, continuing his trend of skipping meetings of a board he chairs that handles billions of Ohio’s deposits. The Board of Deposit, which determines which banks hold state money, met Thursday in Columbus, two hours after the start time of the fundraiser. The first-term Republican has not attended any of the monthly meetings of the group, which also includes Auditor Dave Yost and Attorney General Mike DeWine… The fundraiser for Mandel’s bid to unseat Ohio’s Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown was given by the state’s Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman. Individuals attending the event at Charlie Palmer Steak were asked to donate $500, with political action committees donating $1,000. Hosts of the event were asked to donate $1,000, while hosting PACs were asked for $2,000.” [Associated Press, 1/26/12]
Mandel’s D.C. Fundraiser Was A Huge Success, According To Fellow Republican. “Sen. Rob Portman said the fundraiser he and others hosted this morning at a favorite Washington restaurant for Josh Mandel, Ohio’s state treasurer and Senate hopeful, was a smashing success. ‘There were probably five senators who came, including me,’ Portman said, ‘and another five senators who supported the event but weren’t able to come.’ Among those attending were Sens. Richard Burr, of North Carolina and John Barrasso, of Wyoming. Mandel is hoping to unseat Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown. Portman said there’s a lot of buzz about the Ohio race because it dovetails with the state’s central role in the 2012 presidential contest. By getting involved inMandel’s campaign, Portman said of his GOP Senate colleagues, ‘they’re also supporting Ohio during a presidential election year and those two races are connected.’ He said his fellow senators also see the Ohio race as key if Republicans are going to take a majority in the Senate in 2012. And oh yes, they like Mandel too.” [Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/26/12]
Mandel Disclosed His Personal Finances 177 Days Late. In November 2011, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported, “Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in 2012, on Friday released a copy of his delinquent personal financial disclosure report, a 47-page document showing his wife to be a millionaire with extensive investments held in a family trust… Mandel’s personal financial report was due to the Senate clerk on May 15, little more than a month after he signed candidacy papers on April 5.” According to the filing, the Senate Public Records office reported receiving the documents on Nov. 8, 2011. [Cleveland Plain Dealer, 11/4/11; Mandel Personal Financial Disclosure]
Mandel Released Official Schedules, Did Not Include Out-Of-State Fundraising Trips. “Josh Mandel, Ohio’s treasurer, today provided a copy of his official schedule for every week since being sworn in last year, complying with a recent public records request from Democrats who suggest he spends too much time going out of state to raise political money. But the weekly schedules, also provided to the press, show no such trips. Those trips cannot be covered by Ohio taxpayers anyway and must come from money he raises from donors. The absence of these trips from his official schedules suggests thatMandel is keeping track of them on a separate calendar. Mandel, sworn in on Jan. 10, 2011, is running for the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown in November.” [Cleveland Plain Dealer, 1/20/12]
Mandel Kept Light Official Schedule In First Half Of 2011. “Mandel’s schedule appears light through the first half of 2011, with numerous days when the only things scheduled were one or two meetings with key staffers. Some week days had no events or meetings listed at all. But the treasurer’s office said in a cover letter that this denotes ‘unspecified’ blocks of time. During those blocks, ‘it is fair to assume that Treasurer Mandel is spending a significant amount of time — including late nights and weekends — protecting your hard-earned tax dollars,’ said Seth Metcalf, the treasurer’s general counsel and chief financial officer, in a letter to Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern.” [Cleveland Plain Dealer, 1/20/12]
Mandel Declaimed Akron Press Club Invitation, Spokesperson Said He Was “Too Busy.” According to the Plain Dealer, “Mandel has turned down an offer to speak at an Akron Press Club forum — an event where he would have the opportunity to promote his candidacy and take questions from citizens. Club organizers said Tuesday that they had been trying since May to book the Republican state treasurer…. Through his political director, Mandel informed them this month that he would not be available for any date because he was ‘too busy.’” [Plain Dealer, 12/6/11]
Mandel Attack On Brown Over Fracking Rated “Pants On Fire.” Politifact Ohio rate Josh Mandel’s claim that “Sherrod Brown has sided with Washington bureaucrats and fringe extremists on fracking…Pants on Fire!” They noted that “It wasn’t a Washington bureaucrat who made that decision but, rather, a forester in Ohio.” [Politifact Ohio,12/7/11]
Mandel Attack On Sherrod Brown Rated “Pants On Fire” By Politifact. According to Politifact Ohio, Mandel’s attack on Sherrod Brown during “the course of a sometimes fawning 12-minute interview by host Howard Kaloogian” that he was egging on protestors spitting on policemen and going to the bathroom on police cars was rated “Pants on Fire.” [Politifact Ohio, 11/18/11]
Mandel Donations From Suarez Company “Unusual.” According to the Toledo Blade, Josh Mandel reported some “unusual” donations on his second quarter finance report. Benjamin Suarez, owner of “a direct marketing company that does $100 million annually in sales” has been a major Republican donor. In the current cycle, however, “a large number of his employees and their wives — many of whom have never before given to federal campaigns — have contributed to two specific congressional candidates: Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, a Republican running for U.S. Senate, and U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci (R., Wadsworth), who represents Ohio’s 16th District. All together, 17 employees from Canton-based Suarez Corporation have contributed to one or both candidates, according to federal campaign filings. Sixteen of those employees (and six of their spouses) have given $5,000, the maximum amount allowed under federal election law. For some of the employees and their spouses, that adds up to $20,000. In all, Mr. Suarez, his employees, and their spouses gave $100,000 to Mr. Mandel’s campaign and $100,250 to Mr. Renacci’s campaign. [Toledo Blade, 8/19/11]
Mandel On Questionable Donations: “We Have No Reason To Believe” That Anyone Has Violated Law. In an interview with the Dayton Daily News, Mandel was asked about the questionable donations taken from Suarez Corporation employees. He stated that “We have no reason to believe whatsoever that anyone has stepped across the letter of the law or the spirit of the law here.” [Dayton Daily News,10/2/11]
Mandel Accepted $1,000 From Nazi Reenactor Rich Iott. “Rich Iott, the Nazi reenactor who ran unsuccessfully for Congress, donated $1,000 to Josh Mandel’s Ohio Senate campaign, according to the Republican’s campaign finance filing provided to POLITICO by the Democratic group American Bridge. Iott was criticized and dumped from the House Republicans’ ‘Young Guns’ program in 2010 after details emerged about his involvement with a Nazi reenactment group.” [Politico, 10/21/11]
Mandel Refused To Give Up Iott Donation. “The campaign of Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel for the U.S. Senate on Tuesday rejected a call for him to donate to charity a $1,000 contribution he received from a Lucas County man who portrayed a Nazi soldier in military re-enactments. Mr. Mandel’s spokesman, Joe Aquilino, said the demand to return or give away the $1,000 contribution from Rich Iott of Monclova Township, the 2010 Republican candidate for the 9th Congressional District, was ‘a manufactured nonissue’ to distract from Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s record.” [Toledo Blade, 11/2/11]
Published: Mar 1, 2012 | Last Modified: Apr 21, 2021