The Ohio Elections Commission threw out a complaint Thursday that claimed a group in opposition to allowing casinos in Ohio used misleading information in their advertisements.
Jobs for Ohio Growth, an organization promoting Issue 3, filed the complaint against TruthPAC, a group that opposes Issue 3, last month. Issue 3 would allow four casinos into the state.
TruthPAC's advertisements said thataccording to the out-of-state casino developers' own study
at no time will 34 000 Ohioans be put to work and the jobs that are created will go to skilled experienced casino workers from out of state.
Although the voice-over is referring to a casino developer's study, the cover of a 2009 study from the University of Cincinnati College of Business is shown, with the words Source: Casino Owners' Study written on it, according to the complaint.
Along with stating that the source of the information is misleading, the complaint also states that the ad is false because Issue 3 would provide money for job training as well as construction and permanent jobs with the casino.
Despite these arguments, the commission did not have enough to act on the complaint, said Phillip Ritcher, commission spokesman.
Members decided there was not sufficient showing of probable cause that there were false statements in the campaign materials
Ritcher said.
It doesn't have any effect on anything; we filed the complaints and they're not going to hear the complaint
that's it
said Bob Tenenbaum, spokesman for Jobs for Ohio Growth.
Sandy Theis, spokeswoman for TruthPAC, said that the commission's decision further affirms TruthPAC's stance on Issue 3.
The Elections Commission has confirmed what we have said all along: TruthPAC tells the truth
Theis said.
If passed, Issue 3 would provide Athens County Schools with $1.8 million extra in tax revenue to disperse amongst the districts based on student population, Tenenbaum said.
If passed, Athens City Schools could receive $344,000, Alexander Local could receive $201,000, Nelson-York could receive $167,000, Federal Hocking could receive $136,000 and Trimble Local could receive $114,00 in extra tax revenue generated by casinos, he said.
- Gail Burkhardt contributed to this story.
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Libby Cunningham
