Enquirer > Ethics trips up 2 locals

Two Republican state lawmakers from the Cincinnati area received public reprimands Tuesday from a legislative ethics panel for failing to report a free dinner at Nicola’s Ristorante in Over-the-Rhine, and luxury seats at the Bengals’ Monday Night Football game last fall.

Reps. Jim Raussen of Springdale and Michelle G. Schneider of Madeira were ordered to take a one-hour ethics training class and repay $644 apiece – the value of the entertainment provided by a lobbyist for a California biotech company.

Raussen said he repaid the money in June to Richard G. Colby, the Chiron Corp. lobbyist who provided the meals and Bengals’ tickets

He said would take the ethics training next month.

Schneider did not return a call for comment.

The last time the 12-member Joint Legislative Ethics Committee publicly punished a state lawmaker was in 1997, when it censured former Rep. Michael A. Fox of Butler County for failing to report airfare and Arizona lodging from a lobbyist.

U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt of Loveland also accepted Bengals tickets as a former Ohio House member, but she is no longer under jurisdiction of the bipartisan committee. She repaid the lobbyist $644 in June. (more…)


Wouldn’t it be a great gesture if Congresswoman Schmidt volunteered to take ethics training? I wonder if they offer those kind of courses in Washington DC. If they do it sure doesn’t look like many have been taking advantage.