Ohio gubernatorial Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was hit with an ethics complaint over how he filed credit card payments in his campaign finance report, adding new drama to the neck-and-neck battle between the billionaire entrepreneur and Democrat Amy Acton.
State Senate Democrats filed the complaint with the Ohio Secretary of State on Tuesday, alleging Ramaswamy violated campaign finance laws by failing to disclose what roughly $500,000 in credit card payments were used for.
Ohio’s campaign finance laws require campaigns to provide “details including the amount of money, who the money went to and what it was used for” for every expenditure over $25. In filing his campaign expenditures, Ramaswamy’s campaign reported $509,473.01 in payments to American Express as a single expenditure.
Ohio Secretary of State spokesman Dan Lusheck told a Columbus outlet that an error like Ramaswamy’s is not uncommon, and that the office had given Ramaswamy’s campaign a one-month extension to update the filing to specify details about the payment to American Express. Ramaswamy’s campaign updated its filings ahead of the new deadline and before the ethics complaint was filed.
“Vivek Ramaswamy and Rob McColley for Ohio is in full compliance with all applicable Ohio campaign finance laws,” campaign spokesmanEvan Machan said. “The campaign has never missed a required report or filing and is committed to continuing that strong record.”
The Democratic Governors Association sent out a press release following reports of the complaint, framing the situation as the Ramaswamy campaign trying to trick voters.
“Vivek Ramaswamy will take every chance he gets to pull a fast one on Ohioans — even if it means breaking the law to avoid showing how he’s spending his campaign dollars,” DGA spokesperson Izzi Levy said. “Why would anyone ever trust this scammer anywhere near the governor’s office?”
A source familiar with the DGA previously told the Washington Examiner that the organization views Ohio as one of the best pickup opportunities for Democrats nationwide. Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) will not be seeking reelection due to term limits, so Acton and Ramaswamy are in a tight race for the open seat. DeWine endorsed Ramaswamy to be his successor early in the race, despite Acton previously serving in his administration as health director.
ACTON’S FUNDRAISING MATCHES RAMASWAMY AS DEMOCRATS SEE HOPE IN OHIO POLLING
Recent polling from Siena College puts the two hopefuls tied at 47%, with 6% of likely voters undecided. While the race appears close, Acton may have an uphill battle heading to the general election, as every statewide office in the Buckeye State is held by Republicans.
Acton bagged a slight advantage as she narrowly surpassed her competitor in fundraising, according to campaign reports. Acton’s campaign initially went after Trump-backed Ramaswamy for his deep pockets, as he has funded much of his campaign with his personal wealth and held a steep advantage early in the race before Acton matched his campaign’s contributions.
