Columbus Dispatch cancels GOP fundraiser after getting caught

[Newsjock]

http://jimromenesko.com/2014/09/05/columbus-dispatch-decides-not-to-participate-in-gop-fundraiser/

This morning I received this email from a reader: “I am an Ohio journalist, and this sure looks to me like the Columbus Dispatch is helping raise money for the Franklin County GOP. …It’s also worth noting that Dispatch publisher John Wolfe and his wife are maxed-out donors to Republican Gov. John Kaisch’s re-elect campaign.”

I sent the note to Dispatch editor Ben Marrison and he responded:

As of this morning, we are not participating in the panel.

For context, The Dispatch like most newspapers has a long history of speaking to various organizations in the community as a way of putting our staff in front of various audiences — neighborhood groups, non-profit and philanthropic organizations, educational organizations, etc. Some of those events generate a small amount of money for the host organizations. One of the events editors have spoken to is the Franklin County Republican Party luncheon, which draws about 60 people.

In this case, we were unaware that this was a profit-making luncheon. We didn’t ask enough questions about the net financial benefit until we received and reviewed the flyer late yesterday (it appears there is a small financial benefit to the hosts once expenses are deducted). … Because both we and the party’s leadership were uncomfortable with the appearance of an impropriety, the panel was canceled this morning.

[Jackpine Radical]

1. A newspaper. Didn't ask enough questions. About a county party luncheon.

The same party their publisher contributes to, to the max. Didn't ask enough questions. Newspaper. No clue that party functions are used to raise funds. No clue. Newspaper.


I think I'm having a cognitive dysfunction of some kind.

[jen63]

2. Oh, they know......

trust me. It's a liberal city though, they have to know that every one knows what they're up to. It's such a right wing rag.

[Jackpine Radical]

3. Yeah, of curse they know.

But it was just so hard to avoid helping their fascist friends out…

[jen63]

4. They just can't

help themselves. Like Gov. Ultrasound. Every time my local paper reprints one of their op-eds or cartoons, I want to

[indepat]

5. Any knowledgeable person or entity that supports Kasich sucks big-time imo

for Kasich's record is well-known and smells to high heaven. P.S. My knowledge of Herr Kasich's service only goes back to the 1970's.