Mandel Memories: Inventing A New Government Award “To Reward And Attract Political Contributors”

Executives At 10 Of The 17 Manufacturing Companies That Received The Newly Established Award From Mandel Were GOP Donors

Failed candidate and corrupt politician Josh Mandel is attempting his third run for the U.S. Senate in Ohio, and that’s why we’re here to take you on another trip down memory lane as we review his biggest scandals. We’ve already covered his long history of shady campaign cash schemes and pay-to-play scandals, investigated a case of a missing Mandel, took a look at his political cronyism — and in this week’s edition of Mandel Memories, we’re reviewing his record of granting special awards to his big money donors.

As Ohio Treasurer, Josh Mandel established a new award program to recognize Ohio manufacturers… and then primarily granted the new recognition to workers at the firms of his big money donors. An Associated Press report at the time found that executives at 10 of the 17 manufacturing companies that received the newly established award were Republican donors, “rais[ing] questions about whether Mandel is using the nonmonetary Ohio Strong Award…to reward and attract political contributors.” One company shared that “a fundraiser soliciting donations for Mandel’s campaign” called just weeks after their employees were honored. Mandel’s new award also drew “ire from trade unions,” with labor leaders feeling the program was a “phony gimmick” and that “Mandel manufactured the award to boost his image and name recognition.”

“Time and time again, Josh Mandel has proven he will do anything for himself — even flagrantly abuse his political office to make up a phony award program to reward Republican donors,” said DSCC spokesperson Stewart Boss. “Josh is a self-interested, opportunistic politician who only cares about his own personal ambitions and catering to the wealthy donors who fund his campaigns. No wonder Ohioans have rejected his Senate campaigns twice before.”

Associated Press: Mandel’s Ohio Strong Awards lean toward GOP backers

• Executives of 10 of 17 manufacturing companies whose workers have won a new award established by Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel have donated to Republican candidates, including Mandel himself, an Associated Press review has found.

• The findings raise questions about whether Mandel is using the nonmonetary Ohio Strong Award he launched in March to reward and attract political contributors as he faces Democratic state Rep. Connie Pillich this fall.

• The president of GOP-donating PR Machine Works in Mansfield is Mark Romanchuk, a first-term Republican state representative. He and wife, Zoi, have donated $3,000 to Mandel.

• Larry Lewark, CEO of Lewark Metal, and Leo Hawk, chairman emeritus of American Trim, gave $250 and $1,000 respectively to Mandel’s campaign in mid-April, after having employees honored.

• Hawk and wife Arlene have given over $600,000 to GOP candidates and causes over the years, including a combined $26,000 to Mandel.

• The third executive, Rose Metal Industries president Bob Rose, said a fundraiser soliciting donations for Mandel’s campaign called about three weeks after four of his employees were honored. Mandel said he doesn’t know who made the call.

Cleveland Plain Dealer: Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel’s manufacturing award program draws ire from trade unions

• Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel angered union leaders across the state last week when he launched a statewide award program to recognize Ohioans working in manufacturing and skilled trades.

• Union leaders say Mandel manufactured the award to boost his image and name recognition as he runs for reelection against likely Democratic candidate Connie Pillich, a state representative from Cincinnati.

• The leaders of several building trade unions said in a statement they’re offended Mandel is “looking to politically profit” from work the unions affiliated with the building trades have done for many years.

• “Treasurer Mandel has said on a number of occasions that he is pro-right to work, an extreme contradiction if you believe that the skilled trades offer good jobs and apprenticeship programs,” they wrote. “Right to work would destroy the very thing that Treasurer Mandel is looking to exploit, and we stand firmly against Treasurer Mandel’s election year antics.”

###