Claims that Ohio GOP gubernatorial candidate Joe Blystone was ordered by the Ohio Secretary of State’s office to return more than $100,000 in campaign donations are not completely true, according to Blystone and his campaign representatives.
The 20-page examination of Blystone’s campaign finance reports from 2021 by LaRose’s office also found that Blystone’s campaign reported $1,100 contributions from corporations, which are not allowed to contribute to individuals running for office. The letter also disclosed that the Blystone campaign might need to return another $132,000 if the donors were corporations.
Blystone is running in the GOP gubernatorial primary against Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, former U.S. Representative Jim Renacci, and former Ohio State Representative Ron Hood.
The findings from LaRose’s office are not Blystone’s first brush with allegations of campaign finance violations.
A group of campaign volunteers and staff members filed an Ohio Elections Commission complaint that accuses Blystone’s campaign of disregarding multiple campaign finance laws—among them being a failure to document thousands of dollars in contributions.
The elections commission voted to conduct a hearing about the allegations before Blystone filed a lawsuit claiming that the commission abused its powers. The commission asked a judge to dismiss that legal action and the issue is currently on hold.
Candidates for statewide office must file semiannual and annual reports with the Ohio Secretary of State describing their campaign contributions and expenses.
If the Blystone campaign does not make its reports compliant, it could face an Ohio Elections Commission probe. The commission—which includes three Democrats, three Republicans, and one unaffiliated—rules on complaints resulting from alleged violations of Ohio’s campaign finance laws.
According to the Blystone campaign’s statement, on March 23, “lawyers for the campaign engaged in extensive discussions with the office of the Ohio Secretary of State. The conversation went extremely well. At the end of the discussion, they both agreed on a clear framework, creating a specific manner and timeframe for ensuring full compliance in the campaign finance report.”
Likely, the campaign will voluntarily return a small number of donations that total “nowhere near $100,000” according to the statement.
A Blystone campaign spokesperson said that, on April 15, the campaign will issue a comprehensive report that will be available to the public and “identify whether any of the secretary’s concerns are not valid or misconstrued; identify and correct any mistakes, and provide full detail of any corrective measures that may be necessary.”
“The campaign and the secretary of state’s office mutually agreed to this arrangement and the campaign looks forward to engaging in a respectful, orderly process—free of the stain of internet gossip, political posturing, and shoddy reporting,” the statement added.
Friends of Joe Blystone last reported $214,000 cash in hand. The first-time political candidate is running a grassroots campaign where he travels across the state and speaks at events where he collects donations from supporters.
The review noted that Blystone takes in donations of $25 or less in an “uncharacteristic frequency and amount.” The letter included unclear or vague costs like “food” and “lssep,” possibly referring to sleep, and approximately 126 expenses did not list a purpose.
Blystone said that his campaign did not intentionally violate the rules.
“Am I saying that everything was done efficiently and effectively per the Ohio Revised Code? I hope that everything is perfect, but the campaign finance regulations are very convoluted,” Blystone said.
“If we made a mistake, we’ll fix it. It’s just as simple as that, but we didn’t go out there trying to defraud the campaign finance.”
Blystone’s campaign treasurer is his wife, Jane. Bryan Robson, Blystone’s campaign manager, said that what was cited in the report are “clerical errors or omissions of required information” and that “we are in the process of rectifying these errors and omissions.”
Blystone owns and operates Blystone Farm outside of Canal Winchester. The working cattle farm also includes a restaurant, butcher shop, bakery, and special events venue.
Identified by his long beard and cowboy hat, the East Liverpool, Ohio, native first gained attention for his refusal to abide by DeWine’s COVID-19 mask mandate.
A poll by The Hill/NBC4i/Emerson College that was conducted Feb. 25–26 showed DeWine at 34 percent support followed by Blystone (20 percent), and Renacci (9 percent). Thirty-six percent are undecided.
A Fox News poll conducted by Beacon Research and Shaw & Company Research from March 2–6 placed DeWine in first place on 50 percent, followed by Blystone (21 percent) and Renacci (18 percent).
“Joe Blystone has spent the past year doing DeWine’s dirty work for him and paving the way for his re-election,” Renacci campaign spokesman Tom Weyand said in a statement.
“It’s going to take a lot of work to defeat DeWine in these final weeks, and it won’t be done by spreading baseless lies or going broke from returning hundreds of thousands of dollars in mismanaged donations.
“It’s now clearer than ever that Jim Renacci is the committed pro-Trump, America First conservative Ohio Republican primary voters can rely on to have the discipline and the organization necessary to put an end to Mike DeWine’s 40-year political career,” Weyand added.
Ohio’s gubernatorial primary is scheduled for May 3.
