COLUMBUS — The Ohio Elections Commission handed down a $1,000 fine on Thursday to a Mount Vernon council member for violating campaign finance laws.
The commission fined Mount Vernon Council member Amber Keener and her campaign committee, Friends of Amber Keener, for improperly returning contributions.
Keener received five checks totaling $8,810.60 in 2023 when she ran for the 98th District Ohio House of Representatives seat. The amounts ranged from $500 to $5,000. Campaign filings reflected the checks as donations.
Between December 2023 and February 2024, Keener returned the checks to the donors. In the memo section of the check, she wrote “Return of donation.”
Ohio Elections Commission Executive Director Philip Richter said that, although there are three statutory provisions under which a candidate can return contributions, returning donations is not allowed.
While auditing Keener’s campaign finance reports, the Knox County Board of Elections noted the donation returns and requested additional information. It also noted several other discrepancies.
Keener filed an amended report, reclassifying the donations as loans. Ohio law allows candidates to return loans.
However, she provided no documentation that they were loans.
In September 2024, the BOE referred the case to the Ohio Elections Commission, citing three issues:
•Failure to accurately report campaign contributions
•Improper return of donations
•Failure to disclose loans
Knox County BOE Director James Blazer and Deputy Director Jack Goodman attended Thursday’s hearing.
Guy Hager served as Keener’s campaign treasurer during her state representative campaign. He attended the hearing virtually.
The commission excluded Hager from its ruling because Keener took over as treasurer in June 2024 and filed the reports.
Keener did not attend. When Knox Pages asked for a comment, Keener had not yet heard the result of the hearing and had no comment.
Lack of documentation leads to hefty campaign finance fine
Blazer testified that the Board of Elections attempted to resolve the issue with Keener through phone calls and certified letters. However, she did not respond.
The BOE also invited Keener to board meetings on two occasions, but she did not attend.
At a March 20 preliminary hearing before the commission, Keener testified that she spoke with several individuals experienced in campaigns and was told it was common practice to return donations.
She also stated that the individuals requested that their donations be returned. Keener provided no emails, texts, or other written documentation of her conversation with the Secretary of State’s office or the individuals who asked for their contributions back.
One individual at the SOS allegedly told her that the contributions must be listed on a loan form.
Keener said that after talking with the SOS, she believed amended reports were what was needed.
Those amended reports reclassified the returned donations as loans and were on the loan form. However, Keener provided no documentation to support the claim that the contributions were loans.
Goodman testified on Thursday that he spoke with the Secretary of State’s Office after Keener told him the state had advised her that filing the amended return was compliant.
According to Goodman, the SOS told him that it tells candidates that anything can be amended as long as it is in accordance with the law.
Blazer noted that the Knox County prosecutor was involved throughout the process.
The BOE sent Keener letters in March and May of 2024, noting the improprieties and requesting additional information.
Goodman said he notified Keener that the BOE had referred the case to the elections commission when she came in earlier this year to take out her petition for city council.
He also testified that the BOE advised her to seek legal counsel to help her navigate the case.
According to the Ohio Revised Code, Keener must pay the $1,000 fine within 30 days of receiving written notification.
