Host of Illegal McCain Fundraiser Supports Local Democrat

Earlier today Tim over at BI posted about the invite for an upcoming McCain fundraiser in Dublin, Ohio that seems to break multiple campaign finance laws.

It seems like it should be a big story- especially since the McCain team pulled the ad from their site right after Tim pointed it out. I’m not sure why the national blogs haven’t picked up on it yet. Soon, I hope.

Anyway I did a little digging around on the guy who is supposed to be holding the planned McCain fundraiser. His name is Brent Crawford.

Crawford is a real estate guy who lives in Dublin. He is part owner of a real estate company called Crawford Hoying along with his partner Bob Hoying, a former Ohio State quarterback.

Brent and Bob have both been contributing to Republicans for many years.

Brent gave $2,500 to Jim Petro in 2006. He’s also
given thousands of dollars to Mike Dewine and John Boehner.

His partner Bob is an even bigger donor, giving cash to Pat Tiberi and Rob Portman as well as a few grand to the Republican National Committee. In 2006 he gave the max amount to Ken Blackwell and he’s managed a few small donations to Jim Jordan as well.

All of Brent and Bob’s contributions are to Republicans and none of them are to the same candidate.

Except in one case.

In 2006 both of these guys contributed $400 to Mary Jo Kilroy- a Democrat – in her run for congress in the 15th district.

Nothing to Deb Pryce and nothing to Steve Stivers. Just Mary Jo.

I’m certainly glad to see support for Kilroy coming in from all sides. And I’m glad to see these guys agree that Mary Jo Kilroy should be our next Representative and not that slime-ball Stivers.

But it does seem to say something about the McCain fundraising effort: they’ll take money from anyone. Even people who have donated to Democrats in the past.

I know one thing for sure: there is absolutely no way Bush would have let these guys anywhere near one of his fundraisers- even if they did sign the loyalty pledge.