Ohio: Richard Cordray

The Federal Trade Commission and attorneys general from Ohio and 31 other states have launched "Operation False Charity" to teach consumers how to spot fake charities.

The effort begins as they also announce an agreement with Community Support Inc., a Wisconsin-based professional fundraising company, which solicited money supposedly to benefit firefighters, police and veterans.

The company has agreed to stop using illegal tactics to solicit funds, Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray said. The company also agreed to pay a fine of $200,000 to be divided among the states -- Ohio's share is $8,000 -- and will pay $10,000 for any future violation of the agreements.

"We're all familiar with telemarketing calls and direct mailings that ask for charitable donations to support what sounds like a meaningful effort to assist local veterans or safety forces," Cordray said.

Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray probably can't stop the multi-billion-dollar sale of Chrysler by the Italian automaker Fiat, but that didn't stop Cordray from putting his objections on the record.

The Cuyahoga County Democratic Party is expecting a full house during its annual fund-raiser March 29 at Executive Catering at Landerhaven.

Some local Democrats worried that the county corruption scandal and the recent Ohio Democratic Party dinner in Cleveland would cut into ticket sales.

But insiders say the county party is close to hitting the 750 person target for the event. The event sells out every year largely thanks to law firms, unions, and corporations that want to stay close to the party that dominates politics in the county. Tickets for this year's event cost $175 apiece. Sponsorship cost up to $1,750.

And even if the law had been valid, the inspector general didn't have the authority to poke around Dann's campaign and transition funds, the former attorney general maintains.

Furthermore, the damning report that Inspector General Thomas P. Charles did produce after a six-month investigation is a flimsy foundation for a complaint alleging that Dann violated election laws, Dann says in a new filing with the Ohio Elections Commission.

Dann's 250-page filing -- complete with mountains of evidence and even a lawsuit against his neighbor and former aide Anthony Gutierrez -- suggests that the former attorney general plans to mount a full-throated defense against allegations that he misused campaign money for personal purposes.