Probe focuses on donation to GOP

[RBA]

Probe focuses on donation to GOP

Election official says he was offered $10,000
Saturday, July 16, 2005 Julie Carr Smyth
Plain Dealer Bureau
Columbus - A member of the Franklin County election board said Friday that prosecutors are investigating whether a GOP political consultant tried to bribe the board's director to buy voting equipment made by his client, Diebold Inc.

The director, Matthew Damschroder, has told prosecutors that the consultant, Pat Gallina, came to his office in early 2004, offering him $10,000.

"Pat Gallina came into my office at the Board of Elections and said, 'I'm here to give you $10,000. Who should I direct it to?' " Damschroder recalled. "I said, 'Certainly not to me. But I'm sure the Franklin County Republican Party would appreciate a voluntary donation. That was my first mistake."

The law prohibits Damschroder from accepting political contributions on county property. He said he took the check home and mailed it to the party, where he had just completed a stint as executive director.

Damschroder said Franklin County was in the process of selecting a new electronic voter registration system and that Diebold was not chosen.

Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien would not comment on his investigation.

Elections board member Michael Colley, a Republican, said the four-member board has met twice in executive session to discuss the meeting between Damschroder and Gallina, a former aide to Cleveland Mayor Ralph Perk.

"The crux of the issue is whether there was an attempt to bribe an official to influence the board in terms of voting-machine contractors," Colley said.

Gallina did not return calls, directly or through business associates, seeking comment.

Damschroder told prosecutor O'Brien of Gallina's visit after his testimony was sought in a civil suit filed by one of Diebold's competitors, Election Systems and Software.

ES&S charges in that suit that Secretary of State Ken Blackwell improperly favored Diebold in selecting electronic voting machines for use statewide. Political consultant Norman Cummings, a Blackwell campaign adviser, is scheduled to give a deposition shortly in that case.

Damschroder said Cummings' name came up in his office conversation with Gallina, who said he had met Cummings recently in the Washington, D.C., area. Gallina told him that he and Cummings agreed on the cut-rate price Diebold would charge the state for its machines, and that Gallina promised in return to give $50,000 to "Blackwell interests."

Carlo LoParo, a spokesman for Blackwell, called the claim "absolutely ridiculous," and that Cummings has not negotiated any part of the state's voting machine contracts.

During the same month that Gallina gave $10,000 to the Franklin County GOP, he gave another $10,000 to Blackwell's anti-tax group, Citizens for Tax Repeal, which was formed to repeal a penny-on-the-dollar sales tax hike approved in 2003 by the Ohio Legislature.

The check Gallina wrote to the group came through Celebrezze & Associates Inc., a company Gallina formed with former Ohio Attorney General Tony Celebrezze, a Democrat, in 2002. Celebrezze died in July 2002. The check to the Franklin County GOP was written from the account of ACG Group LLC, another joint venture of Gallina and Celebrezze.

A Diebold spokesman said Friday that the company had no involvement in either contribution.

Diebold executives had ceased contributing directly to political campaigns in October 2003, after the company president sparked an uproar by saying he was "committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes" to secure President Bush's re-election.

Spokesman Mike Jacobsen said the firm pays Gallina - through Celebrezze & Associates - to work as a liaison on state and county government contracts.

"It's a separate company," he said. "Just because we contract with a lobbyist and they make a contribution doesn't mean, in any way, that we use them as some sort of political back door to curry political favor."

LoParo said his boss oversaw a selection process that was fair, thorough and open, and that Diebold was not shown any favoritism.

A vendor had already been picked in January 2004, when Gallina wrote his check to the anti-tax group, LoParo said, disproving any notion that it might have bought the company special treatment.

"I don't know what special deal has ever been gotten from our office," LoParo said. "We got them to agree to the lowest prices in the nation, then we forced them to take another $200 off their price after that."

He noted that Gallina has supported Blackwell politically since 1998, when he was state treasurer.

Gallina was the top assistant to Lottery Director Gerald Patronite in 1978, when the pair were charged with taking favors from firms and individuals seeking business with the lottery commission. The two were later cleared.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

jsmyth@plaind.com, 1-800-228-8272

[GAC]

You seem to spend alot of time scouring the internet trying to find dirt on Repubs/conservatives.

Do you think it really serves a valuable purpose, or is gonna change anyone's mind (or ideology)?

One could easily find the same type of dirt on Dems is they really wanted to waste the time in doing so. Personally, most have lives.

[RBA]

You seem have plenty of time to come to republicans and conservatives defense. Please respond to the article or are you unable to defend this one?

[Redsfaithful]

Total Posts: 12,923 (8.28 posts per day)
Find all posts by GAC
Find all threads started by GAC

And you're slamming someone else for spending time on the internet?

[RBA]

Let's see the predictable defense?

1. The Democrats are just as bad
2. This is just politics as usual
3. Pat Gallina is a closet Democrat
4. I hold my judgment until the indictments come down. The Democrats are just as bad
5. Why are you posting this, don't you know Kennedy murdered a Woman and her fetus.
6. RBA, you "hate" Republcians, get some sleep
7. The Democrats do the same thing.
8. Haven't you read section #205.1 of the 9/11 report?
9. I'm just glad the Democrats aren't in charge; because Al Qeada would of blew up the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

[RBA]

I'm just joking GAC, You made some good points above. I'm going to find a "Bad Democrat" news story, if I can and post it.

[GAC]

Originally Posted by Redsfaithful

Total Posts: 12,923 (8.28 posts per day)
Find all posts by GAC
Find all threads started by GAC

And you're slamming someone else for spending time on the internet?

12,000+ posts on Redszone over a 5 years period (one lone site) does not mean I spend alot of time on the internet as a whole. Because I don't. Hard to do when I'm working 10-12 hours a night (3rd shifter).

There are quite a few on here who have been a member half the time I have been and blow by my post count. Krono spends waaaay too much time on here (kidding Krono ).

You know what I am referring to....consistently searching the internet on almost a daily basis anymore, and solely for the purpose of flooding this side with stories/articles to try an taunt and impugn the other side.

Why don't you try being honest on here on this issue - it's all about trying to stick as many pins as possible in the other side because you're mad and frustrated as all get-out that anyone would vote anything but a liberal Dem into power. As the intellectual Vizzini would say... "INCONCEIVABLE!"

Show me when the last time I started a political thread on here RF? or how about when any conservative started a thread to impugn/taunt a Dem? Do a good search, cause it's gonna take you time to find any. You'll have to go back a ways.

Now compare that to the amount of threads that RBA, yourself, and other liberals start on here? You don't think that is not being noticed by the mods, as to WHO is starting all these threads, and whose intent is to solely taunt the oppostion and be devisive? Get real. Several of us have talked with the mods at Redszone gatherings/ball games this summer over this issue. The mods are pretty level-headed and objective; but they are getting tired and frustrated over the political threads on the non-baseball side. Especially after posting a warning and then rules TO ALL on here to try and clean it up. And NO, they are not siding with conservatives. They are just fed up.

Remember that RF? You yourself said you were gonna tone it down and didn't want to be a source of contention. Would you like me to go back and find exactly what you stated on this? RBA got fed up and left and said he was through with this forum. But not before he accused the mods of being politically partisan for considering it. Everyone is a GOP operative to him. Then he came back for a short bit under a different name.

You both have been true to your word. It is already reverting back and the mods are considering banning all political discussion on this side. I hope they do.

I'm pretty much the only conservative on here who has been stupid enough to respond to you guys in certain instances. I admit - I'm an idiot!

But I have finally wised up. I'm done with you guys. It's not like either side has (or is) gonna convince or change anyone's mind. Start your threads. The only thing you have accomplished on here is to have a vast majority shaking their heads at you. I'll stake my rep on here compared to your's and RBA's any day of the week.

[Redsfaithful]

GAC, chill out. It's really not worth getting so upset about. I wouldn't have made an appearance in this thread if you hadn't attacked RBA for posting something. Just use your ignore button or stay out of the threads that upset you, it seems to work for everyone else.

You're starting to remind me of Cbus when it comes to political threads, and that's really not good for anyone, yourself included.

[WVRed]

Originally Posted by Redsfaithful

You're starting to remind me of Cbus when it comes to political threads, and that's really not good for anyone, yourself included.

At least GAC defends his points with more than or .

[CrackerJack]

I'm just glad the Democrats aren't in charge; because Al Qeada would of blew up the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

[Larkin Fan]

Originally Posted by Redsfaithful

You're starting to remind me of Cbus when it comes to political threads, and that's really not good for anyone, yourself included.

Come on now, RF, that's a pretty low blow. I don't agree with a lot of GAC's positions, etc. but to come out and compare him to a troll who's only mission here at Redszone was to cause trouble and couldn't articulate a thought past a graemlin is pretty ridiculous and uncalled for.

[Redsfaithful]

Originally Posted by Larkin Fan

Come on now, RF, that's a pretty low blow. I don't agree with a lot of GAC's positions, etc. but to come out and compare him to a troll who's only mission here at Redszone was to cause trouble and couldn't articulate a thought past a graemlin is pretty ridiculous and uncalled for.

CBus constantly posted in political threads that he was not personally interested in, because he wanted political threads to be closed down. That seems markedly similar to GAC's above post(s).

[Dom Heffner]

There are quite a few on here who have been a member half the time I have been and blow by my post count.

Yes, but none of those posters suggested that RBA get a life (with a winky to boot )
Your basic argument here is to say that there are people who post more than you, so it should not be pointed out that the teapot was calling the kettle black.

You know what I am referring to....consistently searching the internet on almost a daily basis anymore, and solely for the purpose of flooding this side with stories/articles to try an taunt and impugn the other side.

I sure do. You once posted a lengthy article - copy and pasted from Neil Boortz's website without a link- that was filled with nothing but bad quotes from liberals, and it included some references comparing Democrats to Hitler.

When we called you on it, you said you hadn't read the article and only posted it for discussion. How you were going to discuss something you hadn't read still remains unclear.

Show me when the last time I started a political thread on here RF?

So only those who start political threads are bad, not those who constantly respond to them?

21 of your last 40 posts were on political threads. That's only to page 2 in the search, in case you were wondering (I have a life, I can't spend all my time on the internet, you know )

how about when any conservative started a thread to impugn/taunt a Dem?

There are a few things wrong with this statement. First of all, it impies that only those who start threads can say anything bad about the other side. You say plenty of things to taunt Democrats, GAC. Personally, I don't mind, but to claim that you are somehow exempt from criticism and that RBA "needs to be honest," simply because you didn't start a thread is preposterous.

Secondly, your argument suggests that there are all of these scandals going on that involve Democrats but your side on this board has been resisting a great temptation to post anything about them out of the sheer goodness of your heart.

Trust me, the next time a Dan Rather scandal breaks, there will be threads.

You don't think that is not being noticed by the mods, as to WHO is starting all these threads, and whose intent is to solely taunt the oppostion and be devisive? Get real. Several of us have talked with the mods at Redszone gatherings/ball games this summer over this issue. The mods are pretty level-headed and objective; but they are getting tired and frustrated over the political threads on the non-baseball side.

So you and the moderators have been having private conversations about how they are noticing that liberals are starting political threads? Was this before or after the Swift Boat and Dan Rather controversies?

Perhaps the mods and the "several others" you are referring to would like you to let them speak their own minds and not have conversations they had with you placed in a political thread that goes against your personal opinion. It makes them look like they are siding with the conservative wing of the board.

Ah- and nice touch complimenting the mods. You would have been a terrific hall monitor, GAC.

Remember that RF? You yourself said you were gonna tone it down and didn't want to be a source of contention.

And you once said that I would be surpised by your silence on political and religious threads.

RBA got fed up and left and said he was through with this forum. But not before he accused the mods of being politically partisan for considering it. Everyone is a GOP operative to him. Then he came back for a short bit under a different name.

And you once wrote- in reference to people who were not Christians- that you knew "what would happen to them." You even added a winky to that. Wow.

You then went back and deleted it, but it was forever preserved because someone quoted you before you did it.

We can all play the assassinate the character game, GAC. Just make sure your slate is clean before you go dirtying up someone else's.

I'm done with you guys.

No, you're not, and as proof I would offer to you the countless times you have said this, only to return, like a ghoul from a late night movie, over and over again.

I actually like the debate, so I'll look forward to seeing you again.

[Chip R]

Take it private guys because you aren't going to do it in this thread any more.