Panel dismisses election complaint over Stainbrook, Gallagher flyer

The Ohio Election Commission dismissed a complaint from Ohio Citizens PAC that charged the Ohio Republican Party with making a false statement on flyers supporting Jon Stainbrook and Meghan Gallager (and others) for state central committee.

The flyers said that elected the two would "stop Obamacare." Ohio Citizen PAC said that was false. The dismissal came from the OEC's probable cause panel.

In filing the complaint, Tom Zawistowski, president of the PAC, said the statement was "clearly an intentional attempt to mislead voters by make a false claim of some legislative authority being held by Republican State Central Committee members, which simply does not exist."

OEC Executive Director Phil Richter recommended the dismissal as not rising to the level of a false statement, Gongwer reported. The panel agreed that there was no probable cause to believe the statement would be found to be false and dismissed the case.