** Issue 1 opponent Ohio Works’ funders include utility and gas industry-backed groups ([link removed])
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By Dave Anderson on Oct 25, 2024 03:48 pm
Major funders of Issue 1 opponent Ohio Works include the American Jobs and Growth Fund, a dark-money organization with financial ties to the utility and methane gas industries, and the Ohio Oil and Gas Association.
Ohio’s Issue 1 ([link removed]) is a ballot measure that aims to depoliticize how voting districts are drawn in the Buckeye State and end partisan gerrymandering ([link removed]) that has enabled Republicans to exert control over the state legislature that exceeds the level of voter support the party has received in statewide elections.
Republican lawmakers have used that power to deliver favors to their donors in the utility ([link removed]) and gas industries ([link removed]) .
Ohio Works reported that it raised $5.6 million and spent $4.5 million in a new campaign finance report filed in Ohio ([link removed]) this week. It’s the only time Ohio Works has publicly disclosed its donors.
In addition to opposing Issue 1, Ohio Works has reported making nearly $2.7 million in independent expenditures supporting Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump ([link removed]) and opposing Democratic candidate Kamala Harris ([link removed]) in its FEC filings.
American Jobs and Growth Fund: $1.75 million paid to Ohio Works
“American Jobs and Growth” contributed $1.75 million ([link removed]) in September, making it the largest contributor to Ohio Works.
The American Jobs and Growth Fund is a 501(c)(4) dark-money group that paid $500,000 to the Affordable Energy Fund PAC and Affordable Energy Fund LLC ([link removed]) in 2022. The Affordable Energy Fund PAC and LLC spent over $1 million supporting Republican candidates in Ohio ([link removed]) during the 2022 election, including U.S. Senator J.D. Vance. The Affordable Energy Fund PAC also spent more than $700,000 this month ([link removed]) on direct mail and digital ads opposing Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
Records obtained by the Energy and Policy Institute in 2022 revealed ([link removed]) the Affordable Energy Fund PAC was started by another 501(c)(4) named The Empowerment Alliance (TEA). TEA is a project of Republican megadonors Karen Buchwald Wright and Tom Rastin ([link removed]) , whose family owns the gas compressor maker Ariel Corporation.
The American Jobs and Growth Fund reported nearly $4.8 million in revenue on its annual Form 990 report ([link removed]) to the IRS for 2022. The IRS does not require 501(c)(4)s to publicly disclose their donors, but other 501(c)(4) dark-money groups like The Revitalization Project ([link removed]) and Government Accountability Alliance ([link removed]) (also known as Illinois Policy Action) reported making contributions to the American Jobs and Growth Fund in 2022.
The Alliance for Secure Energy, a 501(c)(6) industry association based in Oklahoma, also reported it paid $275,000 to the American Jobs and Growth Fund ([link removed]) in 2022. Tiffini Jackson, the vice president of external affairs for Public Service Company of Oklahoma ([link removed]) , a utility owned by American Electric Power, was listed as a member of the Alliance for Secure Energy’s board of directors in the group’s annual tax reports for 2020-2023 ([link removed]) . Ken Miller,vice president of regulatory affairs for OGE Energy ([link removed]) , was also listed as a board member.
An obscure 2021 rate case filing ([link removed]) by Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO), an AEP utility in Texas, revealed more than $1 million in AEP funding ([link removed]) for the Alliance for Secure Energy. Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company, a utility owned by OGE Energy, also disclosed in an Oklahoma rate case filing ([link removed]) that it paid millions of dollars to the Alliance for Secure Energy in 2022.
Ohio Works’ campaign finance report ([link removed]) lists an H Street address in Washington, D.C. for American Jobs and Growth. The Leadership for Ohio Fund, a federal Super PAC that supported Ohio Secretary of State Frank Larose’s failed GOP primary campaign for the U.S. Senate, listed the same H Street address for the American Jobs and Growth Fund in a federal campaign finance ([link removed]) report earlier this year.
The American Jobs and Growth Fund contributed $1.5 million ([link removed]) to the Larose Super PAC. Ohio Works now lists Larose ([link removed]) , in his capacity as Secretary of State, as a member of the “NO ON ISSUE 1 TEAM” on its website.
The American Jobs and Growth Fund’s annual Form 990 report to the IRS also listed the same H Street address for the Affordable Energy Fund PAC ([link removed]) .
American Jobs and Growth is also the name of a federal Super PAC, which has not reported making any contributions to Ohio Works in campaign finance reports filed with the FEC ([link removed]) this year.
Ohio Oil and Gas Association: $200,000 to Ohio Works
The Ohio Oil and Gas Association contributed $200,000 to Ohio Works. Earlier this week, the Energy and Policy Institute reported ([link removed]) on how OOGA and its members have benefited from Republican control of Ohio’s state legislature, which is enabled by gerrymandering.
Suburban Natural Gas: $5,000 to Ohio Works
David Pemberton, the president of Suburban Natural Gas, contributed $5,000 to Ohio Works. Suburban Natural Gas is a gas distribution company in Ohio.
Top image by revisorweb from Wikipedia Commons ([link removed]) . Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License ([link removed])
The post Issue 1 opponent Ohio Works’ funders include utility and gas industry-backed groups ([link removed]) appeared first on Energy and Policy Institute ([link removed]) .
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