Francis Sweeney A 3. Unknown contributors are known to other candidates Some candidates failed to identify well-known contributors. An analysis of several large contributions found that some candidates appear to overlook employer identifications other candidates were able to find. Candidates need to make employer identification a priority for staff handling these reports. Candidates may be under a misunderstanding of the purpose of employer disclosure.
Disclosure serves to inform voters about the employer or economic status of contributors.
Candidates should be encouraged to disclose information they personally have about contributors. Current campaign finance reporting forms do not request employer identifications for all types of contributions. Ohio Secretary of State Blackwell and his staff moved very quickly this year to try to upgrade Ohio's campaign finance system. Clearly the campaign finance system has improved tremendously in the past year with the release of the new campaign finance website and improved access for voters.