Records obtained by the New York Post reveal that Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) accepted campaign donations from a woman who died several months prior. Carol Ann Baker of Elmore, Ohio passed away on December 10, 2023 at the age of 77, according to her obituary. Despite passing away, she somehow appears on record making at least two donations to the longtime senator’s campaign committee about five months later in May, the records showed, totaling $350.
Baker served as a trustee for Harris Township, according to her page on Crosser & Priesman Funeral Home’s website. The case was referred to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R), who conducted a preliminary investigation into the matter. During this investigation, Baker’s husband confirmed her passing.
Our office received a complaint identifying that the Friends of Sherrod Brown committee reported receiving two contributions from an individual that was confirmed to be deceased,” said Dan Lushek, a spokesman for LaRose. But, as that committee is a federal entity and not a filer with our office, we referred the complaint and our findings to the Federal Elections Commission for further action.
Brown currently has a five-point lead over his Republican challenger, Bernie Moreno, according to a SoCal Strategies survey. Ohioans deserve absolute confidence in their elections,” said Huan Yi, head of investigations in LaRose’s office, in an official inquiry to the FEC. The purpose of this letter is to refer to your office potential violations of federal law for your investigation, as appropriate.
While Brown has not commented on the investigation, Moreno’s campaign referred to the incident as “creepy.” “Brown’s scheme to fund his campaign with contributions from dead people isn’t just creepy, it’s illegal,” campaign press director Reagan McCarthy told the Post. This conspiracy deserves more scrutiny. How far does it go.