Early Head Start program
Lindner Tennis Center
2010 Butler County Fair
Blogs & Message Boards More...
- Ohio politics: Morgan, Yost get TV ads ready in GOP auditor's race
- Flyer Connection: University of Dayton sports: Rutgers job doesn't interest Gregory
- Chatterbox: Are homes selling in your neighborhood?
- Preps Plus: Mason football player chooses college
- Wright State University sports: New WSU recruit to face future teammate in...
Monday, January 23, 2006
lebanon — The lawyer who violated Ohio election law during his challenge of the election of Warren County Prosecutor Rachel Hutzel in 2004 has been nominated for a spot on the county board of elections.
David Fornshell, a lawyer with a Cincinnati firm who lives in Lebanon, was nominated Friday by the Warren County Republican Party. Secretary of State Ken Blackwell will make the appointment.
It was the second county board nomination of the week for Fornshell, appointed to the Warren County MRDD by county commissioners on Tuesday. Fornshell’s appointment to the elections board is less certain because he was found to have violated elections law during his primary race with Hutzel.
In February 2004, the Ohio Elections Commissions found “clear and convincing evidence” Fornshell’s early campaign T-shirts falsely indicated he was prosecutor. Hutzel was appointed to replace Tim Oliver in a narrow victory over Fornshell in a vote by the local GOP, pending the 2004 election.
Fornshell said he acknowledged the violation in an application completed after Friday’s vote.
“Secretary of State Blackwell endorsed me for prosecutor after (the election) complaint was filed because he knows I have the character and integrity for that position. I’m confident he’ll do the same for the board of elections commission,” Fornshell said.
He wouldn’t be the first county elections board member appointed despite election law violations.
In 1993, then-Secretary of State Bob Taft appointed Bedford Heights Mayor Jimmy Dimora to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections after litigation that ended up in the Ohio Supreme Court. Taft cited problems with Dimora’s campaign reports.
On Monday Blackwell spokesman James Lee said Fornshell’s violation “doesn’t necessarily exclude” him from appointment to the board of elections. Fornshell’s nomination questionnaire was unavailable, Lee said Monday.
Noting political leaders are involved in numerous campaigns, Lee said, “It would not be unusual” for them to violate Ohio election law.
Contact Lawrence Budd at (513) 696-4542.
