Mandel Has Felt “No Obligation To Share His Views On Important Legislation” Thus Far

Will He Make Exception Due To The 38,000 Reported Incidents of Domestic Violence In Ohio Last Year?

COLUMBUS, OHIO – With reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) pending before the Senate, Ohioans deserve to know if Josh Mandel will do the right thing and lend his support to this critically important piece of legislation.

Senator Sherrod Brown is a long time supporter of VAWA, which strengthens prevention efforts and law-enforcement and community-based responses to domestic violence, dating violence and assault, while building on previous authorizations.

Mandel, who spent his first year as Ohio’s Treasurer ignoring his job, surrounding himself with unqualified political cronies, and repeatedly launching one blatantly false attack against Sen. Brown after another, “feels no obligations to share his views on important legislation.” In fact, not only has Mandel himself avoided taking positions, but in a glowing display of confidence in their boss, Mandel’s staff “has publicly discouraged reporters from asking for Mandel’s thoughts.”

Now with the Violence Against Women Act overdue for reauthorization, will Ohioans get a straight answer out of Josh Mandel on whether he supports this bill that is critical to keeping women and families safe and healthy?

“Ohioans deserve to know if Josh Mandel supports reauthorization of the Violence Against Woman Act without any of Josh’s typical sidestepping, question dodging, and avoidance of critical issues affecting our state,” said Sadie Weiner, spokesperson for Friends of Sherrod Brown. “Josh Mandel either doesn’t care that Ohioans have no idea where he stands on major legislation, or he knows his anti-middle class positions will be rejected by Ohio families – either way, Josh Mandel simply can’t be trusted.”

BACKGROUND

More Than 38,000 Domestic Violence Incidents Reported In Ohio In 2011.  According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, law enforcement agencies in Ohio reported more than 38,000 domestic violence incidents last year. [Cleveland Plain Dealer, 4/8/12]

Violence Against Women Act Created A “Comprehensive Federal Response To Combat Domestic Violence And Has Been Reauthorized Twice With “Broad Bipartisan Support.”  In April 2012, the Reuters reported “The Violence Against Women Act, reauthorized twice before with broad bipartisan support, created a comprehensive federal response to combat domestic violence.” [Reuters, 4/24/12]

Violence Against Women Act Was Landmark Legislation That “Has Changed The Landscape For Victims Who Once Suffered In Silence.”  According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, “The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is a landmark piece of legislation that sought to improve criminal justice and community-based responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking in the United States. The passage of VAWA in 1994, and its reauthorization in 2000 and 2005, has changed the landscape for victims who once suffered in silence. Victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking have been able to access services, and a new generation of families and justice system professionals has come to understand that domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking are crimes that our society will not tolerate.  [National Domestic Violence Hotline, Accessed 4/24/12]

A HISTORY OF PROGRESS:

• Creating new system responses – VAWA programs, funding and law reforms have changed federal, tribal, state and local responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking by:
• Securing buy-in from formerly unengaged systems, like law enforcement, courts, and social services
• Creating a federal leadership role that has encouraged tribes, states and local government to improve responses to victims and perpetrators
• Establishing new federal crimes of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking to fill in jurisdictional gaps in prosecuting these crimes
• Defining the crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking, as well as identifying promising practices to respond to these crimes
• Focusing on the needs of underserved communities, such as immigrant and Native American women [National Domestic Violence Hotline, Accessed 4/24/12]

Senator Brown Voted For The Violence Against Women Act In 1994.  In August 1994, Senator Brown voted for the Violence Against Women Act.  [House Vote 416, 8/21/94]

Senator Brown Voted For Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act In 2000 and 2005.  In October 2000 and September 2005, Senator Brown voted to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act in the House.  [House Vote 518, 10/6/00; House Vote 501, 9/28/05]

Hard To Predict What Kind Of Senator Mandel Would Be Given That “His Spokesman Has Publicly Discouraged Reporters From Asking For Mandel’s Thoughts On Active Legislation.”  In a January 2012 article The Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote: “Predicting what kind of senator he would be is made tougher by the fact that his spokesman has publicly discouraged reporters from asking for Mandel’s thoughts on active legislation. Mandel, the spokesman said, will not ‘pretend like he’s there and voting on every bill.’”  [Cleveland Plain Dealer, 01/30/12]

“When Asked About This Stealth Approach, “Mandel Fumbled For An Answer.” In January 2012 The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that “Asked in a recent interview about this stealth approach, Mandel fumbled for an answer.  ‘Certain issues that are brought up in Washington . . . if I choose to have my own plan and present my own plan later in the year, I would rather choose my own plan than have to pretend that I’m one of these politicians in Washington on some, on a bad plan,’ Mandel said.”  [Cleveland Plain Dealer, 01/30/12; ellipses original]

Mandel Feels “No Obligation To Share His Views” On Important Legislation. In an April 2012 Op-Ed published in The Akron Beacon Journal, editorial writer Steve Hoffman wrote “Earlier in the campaign, the Marine Corps veteran’s spokesman said that Mandel felt no obligation to share his views of legislation before the U.S. Senate for sanctions on China for manipulating its currency.”  [Akron Beacon Journal, Op-Ed, 04/18/12]

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Paid for by Friends of Sherrod Brown