Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
Family found dead in Ohio home
Robbers order bar patrons to empty pockets
Man gets 3 years in prison for having sex with horse
Sex-toy study at Duke University raises some eyebrows
Akron man turns himself in after authorities turn up heat
Get ready for detour, delays on Route 8
Man appears alive at own funeral
Blogs:
Pets:
Not 101 Dalmations…but close!
The Heldenfiles:
Friday Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
Saturday entertainment, one more time …
Akron Zips:
No. 1 UA soccer remains perfect, Zips football defeats rival Flashes
Tribe Matters:
Tribe makes roster moves
Cleveland Browns:
Lewis doesn't like boycott
Kent State Sports:
Kent State falls to Akron, 20-28
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs at Knicks
Buckeye Blogging:
Weekly ‘B’ Deck Report – New Mexico St.
Varsity Letters:
Wrestling, bowling teams prepare for season
All Da King's Men:
Bigger And Better Boondoggles
Blog of Mass Destruction:
The Shooter
Akron Law Café:
NEW U.S. Supreme Court Database
See Jane Style:
Muffle Your Muffler
Car Chase:
Perfect Weather for an Autumn Drive
Let's Talk Real Estate:
RUMORS: Downtown Restaurant Explosion
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Jack is looking for a trip to Southern Ohio the week of November 16.
Sound Check:
The Black Keys to perform benefit concert at Musica on November 27
HRLite House:
Personal Rant – Why People Do Not Live in Northeast Ohio
Akron Gamer:
New 'Call of Duty' could set entertainment record
By Rick Armon/Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 11:39 a.m. EST, Feb 22, 2008
Embattled Summit County Republican Party Chairman Alex Arshinkoff has fired off an angry letter to the Ohio secretary of state, calling her decision this week to dump him from the county elections board unfair and ‘‘supported only by inaccurate and incomplete facts.’’
He also decried the fact that he was not provided an opportunity to defend himself against the allegations and asked Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to reconsider her finding ` a request she rejected immediately today.
Brunner, a Democrat, announced Wednesday in a surprise move that she would not approve the reappointment of Arshinkoff, who had served for more than 29 years on the board. She cited a history of harassing and intimidating past and current board workers; creating a partisan working environment; and an affidavit saying he tried to influence three county judges.
Arshinkoff released a four-page, single-spaced response to the media today.
‘‘The letter speaks for itself,’’ he said, declining further comment.
‘‘I strenuously object to your conclusion that I am unfit to serve as a competent board member for the next four years,’’ he wrote. ‘‘My record over the past 29 years and three months demonstrates that I am competent and I have the knowledge, temperament and judgment necessary to serve on the Summit County Board of Elections.’’
The county Republican Executive Committee will meet Tuesday to determine how to formally respond to Brunner's decision, the letter said. The party can decide to fight her decision, submit another name for appointment, or do nothing and allow her to make the appointment.
The decision by Brunner is the latest in a series of high-profile scraps involving Arshinkoff. Last year, state Sen. Kevin Coughlin, R-Cuyahoga Falls, launched a coup to depose him as party chair at next month's annual convention. Arshinkoff and fellow board member Wayne Jones also got into a verbal sparring match last month during a board meeting that included Jones calling Arshinkoff an obscenity and crazy.
In his letter, Arshinkoff refuted the allegations against him used by Brunner to make her decision. He also claimed his Democratic counterparts on the board ` Jones and Timothy Gorbach ` engage in more political activity at the board than Republicans.
Messages seeking comment were left with Jones and Gorbach.
‘‘As a former judge, I know you understand that hearsay is no way to make a just decision,’’ Arshinkoff wrote. ‘‘Sadly, you have based your entire conclusion on hearsay and unsubstantiated allegations perpetrated by my political opponents. You have refused to reappoint me without affording me even the courtesy of any opportunity to respond to these allegations.’’
Jones was given that courtesy five years ago when then-Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, a Republican, concluded that he broke a series of elections laws and committed ethics violations. As part of a deal with Blackwell's office, Jones resigned from the board, but then was allowed to regain his post a few months later.
In a letter responding to Arshinkoff's letter, Brunner said she isn't required to hold a hearing on the matter.
‘‘No statutory or constitutional law requires that I do more than I have already done,’’ she wrote.
Brunner spokesman Jeff Ortega declined comment when asked whether allowing Arshinkoff to respond to the allegations in a hearing would have been a common courtesy.
Embattled Summit County Republican Party Chairman Alex Arshinkoff has fired off an angry letter to the Ohio secretary of state, calling her decision this week to dump him from the county elections board unfair and ‘‘supported only by inaccurate and incomplete facts.’’
He also decried the fact that he was not provided an opportunity to defend himself against the allegations and asked Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to reconsider her finding ` a request she rejected immediately today.
Brunner, a Democrat, announced Wednesday in a surprise move that she would not approve the reappointment of Arshinkoff, who had served for more than 29 years on the board. She cited a history of harassing and intimidating past and current board workers; creating a partisan working environment; and an affidavit saying he tried to influence three county judges.
Arshinkoff released a four-page, single-spaced response to the media today.
‘‘The letter speaks for itself,’’ he said, declining further comment.
‘‘I strenuously object to your conclusion that I am unfit to serve as a competent board member for the next four years,’’ he wrote. ‘‘My record over the past 29 years and three months demonstrates that I am competent and I have the knowledge, temperament and judgment necessary to serve on the Summit County Board of Elections.’’
The county Republican Executive Committee will meet Tuesday to determine how to formally respond to Brunner's decision, the letter said. The party can decide to fight her decision, submit another name for appointment, or do nothing and allow her to make the appointment.
The decision by Brunner is the latest in a series of high-profile scraps involving Arshinkoff. Last year, state Sen. Kevin Coughlin, R-Cuyahoga Falls, launched a coup to depose him as party chair at next month's annual convention. Arshinkoff and fellow board member Wayne Jones also got into a verbal sparring match last month during a board meeting that included Jones calling Arshinkoff an obscenity and crazy.
In his letter, Arshinkoff refuted the allegations against him used by Brunner to make her decision. He also claimed his Democratic counterparts on the board ` Jones and Timothy Gorbach ` engage in more political activity at the board than Republicans.
Messages seeking comment were left with Jones and Gorbach.
‘‘As a former judge, I know you understand that hearsay is no way to make a just decision,’’ Arshinkoff wrote. ‘‘Sadly, you have based your entire conclusion on hearsay and unsubstantiated allegations perpetrated by my political opponents. You have refused to reappoint me without affording me even the courtesy of any opportunity to respond to these allegations.’’
Jones was given that courtesy five years ago when then-Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, a Republican, concluded that he broke a series of elections laws and committed ethics violations. As part of a deal with Blackwell's office, Jones resigned from the board, but then was allowed to regain his post a few months later.
In a letter responding to Arshinkoff's letter, Brunner said she isn't required to hold a hearing on the matter.
‘‘No statutory or constitutional law requires that I do more than I have already done,’’ she wrote.
Brunner spokesman Jeff Ortega declined comment when asked whether allowing Arshinkoff to respond to the allegations in a hearing would have been a common courtesy.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
