UPDATE: DeWine calls on Cordray to return ‘scandal-tainted’ campaign contributions that the Cordray camp says he never received

Ohio Republican Party chair Kevin DeWine is calling on Ohio treasurer Richard Cordray (D-Grove City) to return "scandal-tainted" campaign contributions totaling "more than $20,000" from Cuyahoga County Auditor Frank Russo and Commissioner Jimmy Dimora.

The Cordray campaign had said that Cordray never received the contributions in question.

Campaign contribution records show that the committees Friends of Frank Russo and Dimora Boosters Committee contributed a total of $20,600 to Cordray's campaign committee in 2006 when he was running for treasurer. No contriubtions have been made since 2006.

The Cordray campaign later said that they were referring to contributions made in Cordray's race for attorney general and now acknowledges recieving donations from the committees in 2006.

Russo and Dimora were both prime targets in a federal public corruption probe that culminated in around 200 FBI and IRS agents executing search warrants at the Cuyahoga County administration building, data center, engineer's office and the homes of Russo and Dimora.

No charges have yet been filed against Russo or Dimora.

Cordray is running for Ohio Attorney General against former U.S. Attorney Michael Crites (R-Powell).

DeWine also called on Cordray to call for the resignation of Russo and Dimora.

Cordray spokesperson Leesa Brown originally said that she didn't know where the Republican Party was getting their information.

"I don't think they know what they're talking about because we've never received any contributions from Frank Russo," she said. Brown went on to say that the only contributions Cordray ever received from Dimora was $100 dollars in November 2006.

"We don't have any money to return," she said. "That $20,000, they threw that in there but there's no attribution. I have no idea how they're counting that, so apparently they're just pulling numbers out of the air."

According to campaign records from the Secretary of State, Cordray's committee recieved $10,000 from Friends of Frank Russo on April 19, 2006. He also recieved $1,000 on October 25, 2006 and $9,000 on October 30, 2006 from the committee Friends of Frank Russo.

The Dimora Boosters Committee gave Cordray $500 on June 6, 2006 and $100 on November 6, 2006.

Records show no more donations from either committee through July 31, 2008.

UPDATE: Brown later apologized and said that the campaign had searched for donations from Frank Russo, not Friends of Frank Russo, and had therefore turned up nothing. She said that the campaign would not return the money donated to Cordray in 2006 when he was running for treasurer.

The release from the Republican Party points out that Dimora chairs the Cuyahoga Democratic Party and says that thousands of dollars are contributed to Democratic candidates through his Jimmy Dimora Booster Club.

The club's finances as well as Dimora's contribution records were both confiscated in the investigation.

The Republican statement points to a Cordray issue statement on campaign ethics in 1998 while he was running in his first bid for attorney general. The statement on SmartVoter.com says that he would not accept contributions from those under criminal investigation.

"Rich Cordray received contributions from two individuals now under criminal investigation," DeWine said.  "The source of those funds could involve public corruption at the highest levels of Cuyahoga County government, but Mr. Cordray has yet to say a word about it much less get rid of the tainted donations.  He's turning a blind eye to this scandal just like he did with the corruption in Marc Dann's office.  He'll feign outrage long after the damage is done and then try to take credit for cleaning it up."

Brown responded.

"We haven't accepted any money from Frank Russo or Jimmy Dimora since the criminal investigation became public," she said.

UPDATE: 

Cordray reiterated that the campaign has not accepted any donations from Russo or Dimora in the 2008 attorney general race.

"I continue to stand by my statement in 1998," Cordray said. "We have not, and will not, accept contributions from individuals under criminal investigation."