► Columbus Dispatch - 10/06/04 - Third judicial candidate joins $1 million club Print

Columbus Dispatch

 

Third judicial candidate joins $1 million club
 
Lanzinger, Moyer, O’Donnell of GOP outpace opponents in money gathered
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
By Jon Craig THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Toledo Appeals Court Judge Judith Lanzinger led all other Supreme Court candidates in fund raising during September, becoming the third Republican to break the $1 million mark during the 2004 campaign.
Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer and Justice Terrence O’Donnell passed the million-dollar fundraising milestone in August. The trio has easily outpaced its Democratic counterparts in raising money for the Nov. 2 election, according to campaign finance reports filed yesterday.
Candidates for statewide office are required to file monthly fund-raising reports with the secretary of state’s office starting in July.
Lanzinger reported raising $218,829 last month — nearly three times the total of her opponent — bringing her balance to nearly $1.2 million.
Lanzinger and O’Donnell each reported receiving $17,722.50 from the Columbiana County GOP Judicial Account. Lanzinger also received $25,000 from the Ohio Republican Party and $4,000 from America’s Majority Trust, a political action committee in Washington, D.C.
Her Democratic opponent, Judge Nancy A. Fuerst of Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, raised $73,670 for a balance of $480,055. Fuerst’s largest contributors included Blue, Wilson & Blue of Columbus, $5,500; Becker & Mishkind of Elyria, $5,500; the Frank A. Ray Co. of Columbus, $5,000; and her father, retired Judge Norman Fuerst, $4,000. Moyer raised $152,455 — or more than four times the amount of his opponent — for a balance of nearly $1.3 million. O’Donnell raised $206,924 — or more than 23 times the figure for his opponent — for a balance of more than $1.3 million.
Moyer’s largest contributors were Harris & Burgin of Cincinnati, which gave $5,500, and Murdock, Goldenberg, Schneider & Groh of Cincinnati, which gave $5,000.
Moyer also received $1,000 from retired Fairfield County Common Pleas Judge Joseph Clark of Lancaster and $150 from retired Appeals Court Judge Dana A. Deshler Jr. of Columbus. Deshler gave $150 to O’Donnell last month and $250 to Moyer in June. Clark gave $100 apiece to Lanzinger and O’Donnell last month.
Judicial watchdog David Palmer filed a complaint with Supreme Court Disciplinary Counsel Jonathan E. Coughlan last month claiming justices should not accept campaign contributions from retired judges who often get taxpayer paid appointments as visiting judges. One of the Supreme Court canons bars accepting "a contribution from any employee of the court. . . ."
O’Donnell received $5,000 from RPM International, a Medina company that was unsuccessful in its lobbying efforts for extra protection from asbestos liability lawsuits in House Bill 292, which became law last month. RPM gave Lanzinger’s campaign $10,000 in August.
O’Donnell’s Democratic challenger, Warren Appeals Court Judge William O’Neill, raised $8,790 for a balance of $34,196.
Arguing in his campaign that "money and judges don’t mix," O’Neill set a personal cap of $100 from individuals and $1,000 from companies and political action committees.
He got $1,000 apiece from Troopers for a Safe Ohio, as well as a municipal employees union, sheet-metal workers and an ironworkers union.
Justice Paul E. Pfeifer, a Republican who is unopposed, received one contribution — $5,500 on Sept. 7 from the Ohio Education Association. His campaign balance is $104,178.
The Republican candidates also are benefiting from support from issue-advocacy efforts by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, Ohio Hospital Association and Ohio State Medical Association. 
Moyer’s Democratic challenger, former Cleveland Municipal Judge C. Ellen Connally, raised $32,810, for a balance of $104,950.
Connally’s largest contributors, giving $5,500 apiece, were the United Auto Workers Political Action Committee of Columbus and attorneys with Williams, Jilek, Lafferty, Gallagher & Scott of Toledo.