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Redfern Says Emails Show Kasich's Involvement In GOP Donor's Court Case

cleveland.com

Ohio Democratic Party chair Chris Redfern says the Kasich Administration is lying about its involvement with a California consumer protection case against a North Canton millionaire. Redfern says he has the emails to prove it. Ohio Public Radio's Andy Chow reports.

In 2011—Ben Suarez—a telemarketing millionaire and major GOP campaign donor—faced consumer protection complaints in California. That year Michael Grodhaus—Gov. John Kasich’s chief legal counsel—wrote to the California attorney general asking that she review the case against Suarez to see if the county district attorneys had done anything improper.  
 
At the time the governor’s spokesperson said Grodhaus did this on his own and was not acting on behalf of the administration.  
 
Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern unveiled emails between Grodhaus and top Kasich officials, saying they prove that the administration knew more of his involvement than they let on.  
 
Redfern also says Grodhaus was directed by either the governor or his chief of staff to write an email admitting that he acted on his own accord.  
 
Redfern: “To create plausible deniability that the Kasich’s administration’s most senior staffers on the official side were engaged in an attempt to help out a major campaign donor. The evidence is quite clear.”  
 
Saurez fought another legal battle this year—accused of breaking federal campaign contribution laws. He was found not guilty on most counts.  
 
The governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Jim has been with WCBE since 1996. Before that he worked as a reporter at another Columbus radio station, and for three newspapers in Southwest Florida.
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