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Arshinkoff says Brunner was wrong to appoint Coughlin's ally Varian to elections board
By Stephanie Warsmith
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Tuesday, Mar 04, 2008
The Summit County Republican Party's executive committee voted Monday evening to challenge Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner's decision to appoint attorney Donald Varian to the elections board.
The party will file writs of mandamus with the Ohio Supreme Court this morning asking that Varian be removed and Brian Daley — the party's recommended choice — be put on the elections board. The party also will ask the court to stay a board reorganization meeting now scheduled for Wednesday morning.
''Only Jennifer can do this — it's just unbelievable,'' said Alex Arshinkoff, the Summit County Republican Party chairman. ''I've worked for five secretary of states. I've never seen anything like this.''
Brunner, a Democrat, opted last month not to reappoint Arshinkoff, who had served on the elections board for nearly 30 years, calling him ''unfit.'' The party's executive committee recommended Daley, a former Hudson City Council president and retired financial executive, as his replacement. But
late Friday night — just before a deadline for elections board appointments — Brunner rejected Daley and instead appointed Varian.
Varian, an Akron attorney, is working with Republican state Sen. Kevin Coughlin, who is leading an effort to unseat Arshinkoff as party chairman by gaining a majority on the party's central committee in today's election. He is rumored to be Coughlin's suggested new chairman.
Arshinkoff told the 62 members of the executive committee who attended Monday's meeting that attorneys for the party worked over the weekend on how to respond to Brunner's actions. He said Tim Grendell, a Republican state senator and attorney from Chesterland, has agreed to represent the party pro bono in this case.
Jim Simon, the party's treasurer and an attorney, said the challenges with the Supreme Court will be filed as expedited election matters. He said Brunner didn't follow state law when she went against the party's recommendation of Daley. He said she made ''no effort'' to verify the information she was provided about Daley or Arshinkoff.
Brunner, in a phone interview Monday, said she had reason to believe Daley wouldn't be a competent board member.
''He suffered from some of the same characteristics as what concerned me about Arshinkoff,'' she said.
Described as bully
In a letter to the party, Brunner referred to an Akron Beacon Journal editorial in October that described Daley as a ''bully'' on the Hudson council. She also pointed to information she received from Mike Moran, a Democratic Hudson council member, who said Daley ''tries to intimidate others with a loud voice, and sometimes threats.''
Brunner said if she hadn't named a replacement for Arshinkoff, a ''holdover'' provision in state law would have kicked in and Arshinkoff would have remained the board member until a new member was selected.
''If the statute operated the way Arshinkoff wanted it to, he would be able to continue to send names that were unacceptable and could hold over as long as he wanted to delay the process,'' Brunner said.
Brunner said her elections director provided her with Varian's name. She said she interviewed Varian by phone Friday night, was satisfied with his ''demeanor, performance and experience,'' and offered him the position. She thinks he will be ''an asset'' to the board.
Unaware of ties
The secretary of state said she wasn't aware of Varian's ties to Coughlin or involvement in the battle for control of the party. She said she felt change was needed at the Summit elections board because of the many tie votes the board has recently had — in which she had to make the decisions. She also said she's concerned about the negative atmosphere at the board, which she compared to ''a rubber band being stretched tight.''
''I am simply trying to allow employees to do their job without interference — without retribution,'' she said.
If the Supreme Court allowed Brunner's actions to stand, Arshinkoff said this would greatly broaden the secretary of state's power. He took exception to Brunner's criticisms of the board, noting that Summit hasn't had problems with its elections like other counties, such as Cuyahoga.
''We've had honest elections,'' he said. ''It has worked.''
Varian was sworn in as an elections board member Saturday by Cuyahoga Falls Municipal Judge Kim Hoover. Varian filed the required paperwork with the Summit County Common Pleas Court Clerk's Office and the elections board Monday.
Varian said he isn't anticipating a lot of personnel changes at the board with the reorganization but there will be ''some.'' Absent a court ruling, he said the board will proceed with these decisions Wednesday.
Varian will be at the elections board tonight to help oversee the results, which will include the races for the Republican Party's central committee. The committee must meet within 60 days of the election to decide the party's leadership.
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached
at 330-996-3705 or
swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com.
The Summit County Republican Party's executive committee voted Monday evening to challenge Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner's decision to appoint attorney Donald Varian to the elections board.
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