Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the Ohio University College Republicans have made political contributions and donations. Additionally, the article stated the Ohio University Students for Liberty receive donations. The Post regrets these error.
Joining the big leagues of million-dollar political action committees, the Ohio University College Democrats are trying to affect the political process in Athens with a PAC of their own.
The PAC, Ohio University College Democrats PAC, has seen contributions of more than $10,700 since 2005 from a variety of donors, including a number of local elected officials.
Current Athens City Councilmembers have contributed $890 to the PAC.
Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn has donated $200 to the PAC since 2010 because he said he supports the organization and its values.
“(The OU College Democrats) support ideals that I also support,” Blackburn said. “I’m the chief legal officer of the county, I’m the county prosecutor, I’m an elected official and I’m a Democrat, so I support the Democratic Party.”
Since 2003, the organization has spent just under $6,000 on a variety of expenses including dinners, a “student voting commercial” and other costs.
Its largest expenditure was $1,406 to the Ohio Democratic Party in 2010, and its second largest was $1,008.63 on “member appreciation hoodies” in May.
The PAC fund is essential in financing the College Democrats’ political initiatives, said Nicole Robertson, treasurer of the organization.
“It comes down to whether you have the financial resources to get what you want done,” Robertson said. “With everything we do, (the PAC fund) helps us a lot to get out and reach a lot of people.”
The OU College Democrats voter registration efforts have not been to get people to vote for President Barack Obama but to encourage all students to vote, regardless of whom they are voting for, Robertson said.
OU College Republicans do not have a PAC and do not make political donations, said Ryan Dilworth, the organization’s president. The organization receives donations, but does not make political contributions because of legal restrictions, he added.
“None of the donations we receive are political,” Dilworth said. “We’ve always been decent on money and never needed to (have a PAC).”
The OU Students for Liberty does not have a PAC fund, though one of the organization's executive board members, Nate Kelly, receives an annual $500 donation from the national Students for Liberty organization, Kelly said.
Kelly said that he does not disagree with the OU College Democrats having a PAC but said there should be fewer regulations on political donations.
“Giving money to political groups and candidates is a form of speech,” Kelly said. “Libertarians want to minimize restrictions on speech and let every voice be heard. Let’s let donating be easy.”
ls114509@ohiou.edu
