FACT CHECK: Josh Mandel Is Anything But Transparent
JOSH CLAIMS: He Believes Transparency Is Important.
THE TRUTH: As Treasurer, Josh Mandel has consistently refused to comply with basic public records requests
1. It took nine public records requests over a year for Josh Mandel’s office to respond in full to resumes for his office hires. [TOS Response to Records Request, 6/15/12]
2. Part of Mandel’s response after the 9th records request indicated that the Treasurer’s office never even had possession of some of the resumes of their hires. [TOS Response to Records Request, 6/15/12]
3. Josh Mandel was threatened with a lawsuit for his failure to comply with public records requests. [Huffington Post, 8/24/12]
After Numerous Public Records Requests, Mandel Continued To Withhold Resumes Of Treasury Office Staffers. In April 2012, The Huffington Post wrote “Days after penning a letter to the editor saying that his office was responding to all records requests from the Ohio Democratic Party, Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel (R) is under fire for withholding 60 resumes the party requested.” The Post continued, “In an April 24 letter responding to the request, Mandel’s general counsel Seth Metcalf, wrote that the office was working on the request. The office sent the resumes of some staffers hired by Mandel, but did not include those of several top aides, including Metcalf. Previous records requests by Democrats were ignored, denied or, in one case, included 12 resumes along with the entire state payroll.” [Huffington Post, 4/27/12]
Ohio Democrats Filed Their Ninth Public Records Request For Resumes Of Hires Made By State Treasurer, Josh Mandel. In June 2012, The Huffington Post wrote “Ohio Democrats on Tuesday filed their ninth request for the resumes of those appointed by state Treasurer Josh Mandel (R), the Tea Party favorite running for U.S. Senate. In a letter to Seth Metcalf, Mandel’s general counsel, the state Democratic Party asked for the resumes of 34 people Mandel appointed to posts in the treasurer’s office, noting that their eighth request from May 3 has not been answered by Metcalf.” [Huffington Post, 6/12/12]
After Nine Public Records Requests, Treasurer’s Office Said Missing Resumes Of Mandel Staffers Were “Voluntarily Presented” To The Treasurer’s Office On June 12, 2012 . In a June 15th response to the 9th public records request made by the Ohio Democratic Party for missing resumes of Mandel hires, General Counsel Seth Metcalf wrote “On June 12, 2012, the resumes of individuals that accepted offers of employment prior to January 10, 2011 were voluntarily presented to the office of the Treasurer of State. Since such resumes are now within the possession of the office of the Treasurer of State, these resumes became ‘public records’ on June 12, 2012, and are therefore currently available for production, and thus appear on the enclosed CD.” [TOS Response to Records Request, 6/15/12]
Josh Mandel Was Threatened With A Lawsuit For Refusing To Comply With Public Records Requests. In August 2012, Huffington Post wrote “The Republican nominee for Ohio’s U.S. Senate seat is being threatened with legal action by a Democratic super PAC for his decision to not answer requests for records from his state office. On Thursday, American Bridge 21st Century sent notification to the general counsel of current Ohio Treasurer and Tea Party favorite Josh Mandel asking for records and resumes of those hired by Mandel since he took office in January 2011. That same material was provided to the Ohio Democratic Party in June following nine records requests. American Bridge’s request comes after a series of unanswered public records requests from Ohio Democrats to the treasurer’s office and as Mandel is challenging Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) in a competitive race for the U.S. Senate.” [Huffington Post, 8/24/12]
