COLUMBUS, Ohio – The hottest issue in Ohio’s gubernatorial race isn’t jobs. Or Taxes. Or fracking.
It’s schedules.
The Ohio Republican Party is suing Democratic challenger Ed FitzGerald (above right), trying to force him to release key-card data showing when he enters and leaves county buildings and parking facilities as the Cuyahoga County executive.
The Wednesday filing asks the Ohio Supreme Court to compel the data’s release as public record.
“For months, FitzGerald has been hiding records from the public about where he is and when…FitzGerald is so desperate to hide these records from the public that he won’t even respond to public records requests and is wasting thousands of taxpayer dollars in a fruitless attempt to keep his secrets,” GOP chairman Matt Borges said.
A FitzGerald campaign spokeswoman calls the lawsuit a political stunt and says Republicans and Gov. John Kasich (above left) should focus on real issues that matter to residents.
Democrats have suggested FitzGerald’s refusal to provide the records is similar to the Kasich administration’s decision to block release of records detailing threats against the governor, because both involve a government leader’s security.
The Supreme Court is weighing a challenge brought by a Democratic-leaning political blog over the threat records.