Yesterday in Circleville, Josh Mandel was asked to comment on transparency in political donations. Mandel said, “I strongly believe in transparency. I think it’s an important component to our country and our political system.”

This from the same man who has spent his entire campaign ducking and dodging any question from the press he doesn’t feel like answering. What was Mandel doing while missing every single Board of Deposit meeting his first year in office? Why was Mandel nearly 6 months late in filing his personal financial disclosure forms, required by law for Senate candidates?

It doesn’t end there. For over a year, Mandel refused to disclose the resumes and qualifications for unqualified Treasurer’s office staffers he hired, despite receiving nine public requests for them. As it turns out, Mandel was hiding resumes for more than half of his hires in his transition fund.

But when it comes to political donations, it’s even more hypocritical for Mandel to tout his so-called belief in transparency. This year, Mandel returned $105,000 in campaign contributions that are connected to an ongoing FBI investigation, but still refuses to answer any questions about the donations. When asked point blank why he didn’t return the money until news of the FBI investigation was public, he chooses to attack Sherrod Brown instead of answering the question. And he won’t admit to soliciting the contributions in the first place, a point first made by one of the donors.

The facts don’t lie, Josh Mandel can’t be trusted when he claims to believe in transparency.