MUR759400759 Taft/ 65 East State Street, Suite 1000 I Columbus, Ohio 43215-4 213 Tel: 614.221 .2838/ Fax: 614.221 .2007 www.taftlaw.com

Dig itally signed DONALD C. BREY / by Kathryn Ross 614.334. 6105 'X: ",,.,,::r-,.,r-=~Da t e: 2019.05.09 dbrey@taftlaw 14:53:56 -04'00'

May 6, 2019

SENT VIA E-MAIL: at [email protected] Federal Election Commission Office of Complaints Examination & Legal Administration Attn: Kathryn Ross, Paralegal 1050 First Street, NE Washington, DC 20463

Re: MUR 7594

Dear Ms. Ross,

The allegations against Friends of should be dismissed for the same reasons set forth in my attached letter to you of May 3, 2019.

The Statement of Designation of Counsel for Respondent Derek Menin is attached.

Also attached is the Statement of Designation of Counsel for Respondent Ohio House Republican Organizational Committee (now known as HRCC). My May 3, 2019 letter responded on behalf of the Ohio House Republican Organizational Committee, but did not include its Designation of Counsel.·

24995932. l

Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP Chicago I Cincinnati / Cleveland/ Columbus/ Dayton/ Indianapolis/ Northern Kentucky/ Phoenix MUR759400760 Taft/ 65 East State Street, Suite 1000 / Columbus, Ohio 43215-4213 Tel: 614.221.2838 / Fax: 614.221 .2007 www.taftlaw.com

DONALD C. BREY 614.334.6105 dbrey@taftlaw

May 3, 2019

SENT VIA E-MAIL: at [email protected]

Federal Election Commission Office of Complaints Examination & Legal Administration Attn: Kathryn Ross, Paralegal 1050 First Street, NE Washington, DC 20463

Re: MUR 7594

Dear Ms. Ross,

The allegations against the following Respondents should be dismissed because the Complaint is frivolous on its face.

• Ohio House Republican Organizational Committee, • Committee for Wiggam, • Romanchuk for State Representative, • Cupp for State Representative Committee, • for State Representative, • Friends of Dave Greenspan, • Brinkman Campaign Committee, • Citizens for Blessing, • Seitz for Ohio Committee, • Elect DeVitis, • Oelslager for Ohio, • Stein for State Representative, • Committee to Elect Manning, • Friends of , • The Committee to Elect , • Hambley for House Committee, • for State Representative, • Citizens for Scott Ryan, • Friends of Lany Householder,

Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP Chicago/ Cincinnati/ Cleveland/ Columbus I Dayton/ Indianapolis/ Northern Kentucky/ Phoenix MUR759400761

Federal Elections Commission Re: MUR 7594 May 3, 2019 Page 2 of2

• LaTourette for Ohio, • Campaign to Elect James M. Hoops, • Citizens to Elect , • Friends of Bill Reineke, • Friends for Steve Arndt, • Friends of Ryan Smith, • Friends of , • Friends of , and • Citizens for Rezabek

The Statements of Designation of Counsel for these Respondents are attached.

It was and is lawful for a corporate PAC/Separate Segregated Fund to-make contributions to Respondents. While Mr. Austin acknowledges in his Complaint "I am not a lawyer nor have I consulted one in the drafting of this document", no one should have to respond to a Complaint that on its face makes no allegation of any unlawful conduct.

It is perfectly lawful for corporate sponsored PACs to make political contributions - whether or not the sponsoring corporation is the subsidiary of a foreign corporation. Yet, that lawful conduct is aU that the Complaint alleges.

The Complaint repeatedly states that "the PAC made" the contributions at issue. See, Complaint at p. 6. There is no claim that the contributions were improperly reported, or were concealed, or were made by any entity other than the corporate PAC. Indeed, the Complaint claims no knowledge of the contributions apart from what was publicly reported on the Federal Elections Commission's website.

Mr. Allen's Complaint expresses gross ignorance of how campaign finance operates. Mr. Austin confuses the basic difference between a corporation and a corporate PAC. The Complaint makes no claim that Respondents received any corporate contribution from any corporation's treasury funds, but merely alleges that Respondents received PAC contributions. There is no law against that.

WHEREFORE, the above listed Respondents respectfully submit that the Complaint against them should be dismissed.

24986632.1 MUR759400762

EJlDERA!-m.BCTION COMMISSION rose> Flm Street, NB w-lungto~ DC 20t63

Sl'ATEMENT OF DKSIGNATION OF COUNSEL J'mldp PM fbm Ole w,h Bemm4co11Wlmca • [email protected]• I!A.X 202-21!1-3923 ARIMVRI.R.RIP-MUB# 7 5" t:J t,/ NameofC

Mobile#: ______

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t'hoabove-JWIICcf individual and/or finn ia liereby deslsnated as my counsel and is authorized to receive any notmcations 1111d olhercommwilcatio11s from the Commission and to act on my behalf before the Commission. s-~-11 Dal8

~ (Name-Please Print)

RESPaNDm: F,.iend., <>f 720:eK )Jerri'> (Plee\;;prfat Committee Name/ Company Nuac/lncllvldual Named iD Notlflcatlon Letter)

Hl>me#: ______Mobile#: _...__;__ Offfcd:_ ------_ Fax#: ------.,----

cnlEteclfon Commission matter t~ luubjectto the oonfidenUalll.y provisions of-52U.S.C. § 30109(a)l12)(i\), fiUbHc any notUicaLloo or investigallon conducted by 1hc Federal Election Commlsslon without the cxpross ""4or inffltigation. Re\t,2018 pi;·--·- -··------··-·· .. .. . MUR759400763

[ • I I r FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION 1050 First Street, NE Washington, DC 20463

STATEMENT OF DESIGNATION OF COUNSEL Pl'ovidc one form for each Respondent/Witness EMAIL [email protected] FAX 202-219-3923 AR/MUR/RR/P-MUR# 7 5' t:J t,/ NameofCounsel: fJoNAt() C • 812EY Firm: -----TAFT------frG,TJA/ll,IS J }ltJI.J/S7'1/t Address: E115T 7A1 $ Sr,t GET, tJ1TE I 000 ------=-6-- ,s------s s

Office#: OI J/ · 11 J/ · /J /I)') Pax#: / / I,/ ' 2 i I ' :Z I) t)7 Mobile#: - ----,------E-mail: _J_1,_,._~.,_Y.,-;;c9___ tt16.__t_i_"-"'-· _t""-o/YI______

The above-named individual and/o!' firm is l1ereby desig11ated as my counsel and is authorized to receive any notifications and othel'oommunlcations :from the Commission and to act on' my behalf before the Commission. PJ:JJp: . (\ (S1gn11ture • Respondent/Agent/'I'l'easurer) /Qu l Ze~o.~-q- (Name- Please ~lt)

RESPONDENT: HRec {f kcr Ohi O 1/ovse Rei. 0 Y''!), (oJ-11.) (Please print Committee Name/ Company Name/Individual Named in Notification Letter)

Maifing Address: ~2.:>,..L.l_ k-t,.LJ~e...:...... ;/'&;;...-',.(>...-><,..;A.__S__,_~---.:...7_+~_p;_/_oo_l"__ (Please Print) /' l Lc)u..lAJ,.b~,. {) ft lf3 'J./S:- Home#: ------Mobile#: Office#: ------Fax#:------E-mail:

'J'Jris_funn rel11!es lo a Federal Bl~tlon Commlsaion tn11ttcr Ihm Is ~ubj~t1o tho confidentiality provisions of52. U,S,C. § :l0109(n)(11)(A). This s~ion prohibits mking pub I.le any no1lflcatlon or investigation conducted by tllo Federal Eleclion Commission wllhoutlho express wr!Uert consent oflhc person under inve3tiffl!tion. Rev,2018

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