The Franklin Cty elections board has “suspended its director for his handling” of $10,000 from a Diebold representative, reports the Cleveland Plain Dealer. More:
Elections director Matthew Damschroder, a Republican, accepted the $10,000 check from “a Diebold political consultant on county property and later delivered it” to the county GOP.
Damschroder also told reporters and county prosecutors that [Pasquale “Pat” Gallina] reported cutting a private deal on Diebold voting machines with Secretary of State Ken Blackwell’s campaign adviser and then donating $50,000 to “Blackwell interests.”
Both men have denied the story’s accuracy.
Gallina [told the A.P.] over the weekend that the $10,000 given to the Franklin County party was his own money donated to support the GOP.
He said he had not made a $50,000 contribution to “Blackwell interests” – though records show he did give $10,000 to Blackwell’s Citizens for Tax Repeal in 2003 through his firm … (Read all)