Contact
Carol O’Brien
614.620.5400
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
County Republican Party Chairs
Blast Bogus PAC Endorsements
DELAWARE, Ohio (July 25, 2022) – Republican Party chairs in Coshocton,
Delaware, Franklin, Holmes and Knox counties have blasted the use of misleading
political action committees (PACs) that make candidates appear to have the
endorsements of the county parties.
The county chairs released a joint statement that read, in part: “Recently, we have been made aware of mailers that have gone out supporting candidates for the District 19 seat of the Ohio Republican Party State Central Committee. These mailers claim endorsement (and) the support of various county party Republican PACs. These (PACs) are in no way affiliated with our county party organizations and are all registered under the name of an individual in Southwest Ohio.”
Melanie Leneghan and Gary James, both of Delaware County, are candidates for the Republican State Central Committee. They have claimed in mailers and on social media to have endorsements from these PACs.
The misleading PACs made to appear like legitimate party PACs that claim to
endorse Leneghan and James are:
Coshocton County Republican PAC
Delaware County Republican PAC
Holmes County Republican PAC
Knox County Republican PAC
According to filings at the Ohio Secretary of State, the four PACs were registered
by Kelly Kohls, who is affiliated with the Ohio School Boards Leadership Council.
According to her LinkedIn page, she is the president of the organization’s board of
directors.
According to the National School Boards Leadership Council’s website, Kohls is
the former president of the Springboro, Ohio, Community City Schools Board of
Education. Springboro is located in Warren County, south of Dayton.
“This is why people have so little trust in politicians,” said Carol O’Brien, who
also is a candidate from Delaware County for the Republican State Central Committee. “These PACs were registered by a woman who doesn’t live anywhere near Central Ohio. They’re misleading. This is simply a scam in order to appear to have the endorsements of the county parties. It just shows how far some people will stoop to appear to have endorsements. It’s pathetic.”
According to the statement from the party chairs, “To name (a PAC) after a
county where you have no affiliation is meant to confuse voters. Our county party central committees stand opposed to these deceptive tactics and call on the individuals making these endorsements to stop immediately. “
According to the statement, not one of the four county’s central committees
endorsed Leneghan or James.
