The Ohio Elections Commission is currently reviewing actions by the “Citizens for Gavarone” committee for possible election law violations.
The allegation filed with the OEC claims that the Theresa Gavarone campaign failed to properly disclose the source of their political publications and/or paid political advertising as required by Ohio Revised Code, on the Gavarone campaign’s Facebook.
Gavarone, R-Bowling Green, is running to retain the state representative seat she was appointed to when Tim Brown resigned this past summer.
The complaint was filed on Oct. 14 by Aaron Fisher, executive director of the Ohio House Democratic Caucus.
The Ohio Elections Commission is scheduled to conduct a preliminary review of the issue on Dec. 1.
“Any violation of the statute’s jurisdictions are important to this commission,” said Philip Richter, executive director of the Ohio Elections Commission.
The law requires that disclaimers be placed on all materials circulated for campaigns, and this is “presumably a violation,” Richter said Tuesday afternoon.
If the commission determines a violation has occurred, it has three options: Send the issue to a county prosecutor for criminal proceedings, impose a fine up to $500, or decide not to impose a fine due to “good cause.”
Richter said as a general rule, fines are not issued for a first offense.
