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Toledo
Blade
Ohio GOP accuses Dems of silence
on misdeeds
By
Jim Provance
COLUMBUS
— The Ohio Republican Party on Tuesday accused Democrats
of “deafening” and “stunning silence” in the wake of an indictment
against a
former deputy treasurer accused of accepting bribes from a broker to
steer
lucrative state business his way.
Borges Borges THE
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“These
are obviously disturbing developments,” GOP Chairman Matt
Borges said. “It’s impacted someone who was a statewide officeholder in
Ohio.
[Former Treasurer Kevin Boyce] owes answers. Ohio Democrats owe
answers. It’s
surprising to me at this point that Ohio Democrats have had nothing to
say.”
Amer
Ahmad, 38, pleaded not guilty on Monday to felony bribery and
money-laundering charges stemming from an alleged scheme to steer
securities
trades to Canton broker Douglas E. Hampton, 39.
Mr.
Hampton recently entered into a plea agreement, admitting to
conspiracy for paying more than $500,000 to Mr. Ahmad and his close
friend and
business associate, Mohammed Noure Alo, 35, a Columbus lobbyist.
The
charges have given Republicans leverage to push back after
weeks of Democrats trying to capitalize on conflict of interest
allegations
against Gov. John Kasich and the CEO board members of his private,
nonprofit
economic development entity. The Ohio Ethics Commission last week
dismissed the
JobsOhio complaints.
“After
pleading guilty in a pay-to-play scandal himself, it’s hard
to take Governor Kasich’s ethically challenged Republican Chairman Matt
Borges
seriously,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokesman Jerid Kurtz.
Read
the rest of the article at the Toledo Blade
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