A source informs me that Mr. Brinkman failed to file with the FEC and only did so on August 5th after having received several notices and threat of legal action. Additionally, Mr. Brinkman apparently failed to inform the FEC about a change in personnel at the campaign treasurer's position.
Politicans are NOT above the law. Republicans are supposed to be the standard bearers on this kind of stuff. Mistakes are one thing; deliberate skirting of the law is another. Zero tolerance of this sort of tomfoolery is the only acceptable answer.
Now, I don't know if this information is coming to me in order to downplay a Brinkman primary challenge of Schmidt or not... If it is, that is pretty pathetic; but I don't think that is the case.
At any rate, this is the sort of behavior that we ought not condone.
Mark's Remarks
Tom Brinkman attempted to run for Congress as an outsider. With his tactics with COAST and this FEC scandal, he is showing himself to be just as much of an insider as any of his opponents, just as much of an insider as Householder and Taft.
The Ohio GOP had better start waking up and smelling the dead fish. Situations like these are going to be an albatross around the neck of whomever wins the primary for governor, and will hang like a cloud over any Republican who seeks state or national office in Ohio. Bennett and Co. had better wise up and cut the ties to these clowns, or we will all get cut up come November.
