Coughlin slated to appear before elections board

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by Eric Marotta

News Leader Editor

Akron -- Sen. Kevin Coughlin said he will go before the Summit County Board of Elections to explain why he did not show up for a Jan. 22 hearing on petitions filed by central committee candidates.

Coughlin (R-District 27), who is leading an attempt to gain a majority of the Summit County Republican Party's central committee in the March 4 primary election, said in a phone interview Feb. 13 that he would be at a Feb. 26 hearing with the Board of Elections.

"Our attorney advised that we didn't have to be there in person (Jan. 22) and that he could represent us," he said.

Coughlin said that he had been a legislator in 1997, when the state law was changed to give boards of elections the authority to summon individuals to attend hearings. He said the law allows individuals to have an attorney represent them.

The Board subpoenaed 12 individuals to appear at a Jan. 22 hearing, including Coughlin, "whom the board thought had altered circulator statements," Board of Elections Director Bryan C. Williams said in a phone interview Feb. 11.

"That's absolutely false," Coughlin said. "Our petitions were filled out properly."

At issue at the Jan. 22 meeting were petitions for candidates seeking election to the county party's central committee. Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner has since ruled that 19 Republican central committee candidates, who support Coughlin, should be allowed on the ballot.

Elections Board members had split on whether to disqualify the 19 candidate petitions, leaving Brunner to make the final call.

E-mail: emarotta@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3171