Friday, March 24, 2006

Money Talks, and Richard Weiland Walks

Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati

How much influence should one man have?  How can we have government by the people and for the people, when certain folks have the unfair advantage of enormous resources?  Are Ohio politics working in the interests of average Ohio citizens, or in the interests of statewide contributors like Richard Weiland—who looks like he may have given more political donations in Ohio in the past few years than any other person.

The Secretary of State web site features this resource, which allows for political contribution records to be searched a variety of ways.  This link allows you to search by the name of the contributor.  If you are a wonk with a penchant for data mining, this might be the website for you!

If you enter the name “Richard Weiland” in the appropriate boxes, the search results return 798 line items—each documenting a separate contribution made in the state of Ohio by Richard Weiland.  That does not include looking for any different information with other names, like “Dick Weiland,” “R. Weiland,” or even “Richard Consulting Services.”

Hopefully, a reader will volunteer to search the document for illuminating line items.  I found it remotely interesting in the second screen of results that he gave $100 to both Barrett and Kearns.  I also found it noteworthy that, in a $150 donation to “Team Coughlin,” Weiland listed his occupation as “attorney.” It is my understanding he was disbarred several years ago.

Is Richard Weiland allowed to list “attorney” as his occupation if he has been debarred?

Keep searching through the results:  $1,000 to Kearney, $1,000 to Petro.  As I said, this document includes lots of data, but a cursory glance for familiar names finds more:  $100 to Driehaus, $1,000 to Seitz, $100 to Kearns and $100 to Barrett, another $1,000 for Petro, $700 to Driehaus, $200 to Mallory, $1,000 to Schmidt.

The donations span more than one year, for those curious at multiple listings under the same name.

(Since we’re playing online, we looked up “P. Heimlich” and found he has only given fifteen contributions—as himself anyway—since 1990, and five of them were for Tom Brinkman!)

The story of Richard Weiland is starting to look like a years long quest to gain power and influence through sidling up next to politicians with frequent contributions.  Whether he gives $1,000 to the candidate he really likes whenever he can, or whether he throws a $100 bone here and there to those he wants to keep around—Richard Weiland seems to have more access to our State’s political body than any other citizen.

Does Richard Weiland also do philanthropic works?  Yes, but now we enter the slippery realm of trying to pin down an individual’s motivation.  To what degree do charitable deeds serve as a facade for Weiland’s personal quest for increased political power and clout?

So what is Weiland’s political agenda?  What is he trying to accomplish?  How does this relate to the long list of organizations Weiland represents as a lobbyist?  Is everything here above board, or is there some backdoor influence peddling lurking beneath the surface?

Is if right for the citizens of Ohio to have their lives shaped and molded by the personal policies of a man who does not ever campaign the neighborhoods talking to people about what he believes, a man who has no voting record on the issues, a man who does not get voted into any office because his work is beyond political offices themselves?

Socializer!

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Snaggle Puss says:
24 Mar 2006  at  07:53 am | #

Weiland listed his occupation as “attorney.” It is my understanding he was disbarred several years ago.

Good catch! Date clarification, when Weiland went to federal prison for HUD fraud in the mid-70s, he was prohibited for life from practicing law.

Since he holds a JD, technically he can claim to be an attorney, but not as his occupation since he’s disallowed from making money as one.

says:
24 Mar 2006  at  09:08 am | #

I am quite surprised he did not donate to The Black Fist. God knows to be a political power broker one would have to have easy access to this block of three or four votes!

The Green Pepper says:
24 Mar 2006  at  09:23 am | #

The plot thickens.  The Ohio Supreme Court says he resigned—and is deceased. 

http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/atty_reg/Public_AttorneyDetails.asp?ID=0059001

Nosy Parker says:
24 Mar 2006  at  09:51 am | #

Thanks, Green Pepper. I just called the Supreme Court clerk to ask for paperwork and was informed that when an attorney resigns, there’s no investigation, hence no additional paperwork.

Alphabet Soup says:
24 Mar 2006  at  10:23 am | #

Congratulations Dean, you just broke a huge story.  All this article tells us is, there is a thing called “politics” and Dick Weiland is very involved in it.

Start clearing off a space on your mantle for the Pulitzer!

says:
24 Mar 2006  at  10:28 am | #

I also provided resources for people to search contribution records, and I asked for those interested to submit any findings.  I also have raised some questions, like the degree to which this should really be the face of the democratic process.

How many people in Cincinnati know who Dick Weiland is?  How many people know how influential he is?  How might people feel about that information?

And, quite frankly, the line item about his occupation being “attorney” strikes me as having potential.

So, Alphabits, what is your point?

says:
24 Mar 2006  at  10:31 am | #

A disbarred attorney holding a JD can place that credential as part of one’s title, as the title does not suggest actually practicing law, but other titles (like Esq.) are prohibited from those who hold a JD only, or are disbarred.

At least that is my understanding, Snaggle Puss—and if correct he CANNOT claim to be an attorney.

If this is a violation of the law, what might it mean?

Amora says:
24 Mar 2006  at  11:20 am | #

Good work Dean, you just broke a huge story

yawn says:
24 Mar 2006  at  11:50 am | #

Who cares!  Somebody in Cincinnati has money and is using to to forward the democratic process (candidates can’t run without money).  Big deal.  I’ve known of Dick for years.  He has influence, helps people and has a shady side.  Who doesn’t? Running out of stories?  Here’s one...our children are lacking parental figures and positive influences.  Go be a mentor and have an impact on someone’s life.

funnelcake says:
24 Mar 2006  at  12:03 pm | #

OK.  So they guy is a lobyist.  A hired gun to influence politicians in the Cincinnati/Ohio area.  And maybe he funnels funds too to keep contributions somewhat anonymous.

Lobyists are nothing new.  DC is packed full of them.  What is the point of research?  What do you expect to find?  I am sure if you had enough dough you could hire him yourself.

nutcracker says:
24 Mar 2006  at  12:56 pm | #

These lobbyist are the problem, they have way too much influence and it needs to be challenged. Tricky Dick is a crook that’s been caught before and people should be watching him closely. We know the Enquirer is too lazy and biased to cover it.

You people who yawn and say big deal about a known crook having so much influence behind the scenes should get your heads out of your ass’. There is nothing democratic about what’s going on.

says:
24 Mar 2006  at  02:09 pm | #

Dick Weiland is only a JD.  That is all he can claim.  He’s on the slippery slope if he’s claiming to be an “attorney”, or an attorney-at-law.  He’s no longer an attorney-at-law.  It’s compared to practicing medicine without a license, which Dickie can’t doe either. 

Hopefully, people are starting to catch on to what we’ve been talking about all week.  Weiland is a weasel, needs to be watched carefully & held accountable for his actions at the appropriate time.  We won’t have democracy until these worms are ferretted out.

Dean, this is excellent work!  Not only are you eligible for the Pulitzer Prize, we’ll get you on the list for a Nobel Prize & all those other good things.  This IS the source for worthwhile, thought-provoking issues.  All the rest of them are for amusement purposes only.  I’ll take a bit of time to go thru the SOS list on Dickie.

says:
24 Mar 2006  at  03:21 pm | #

Whee Doggies!  Dickie has plenty of paper company names.  I only had to look at a few of these contributions to politicos to pick up the scent.  Other campaign contributions were made by firms & such that could derive a direct benefit from Dickie - Merck pharmaceuticals (Merck Employees PAC), Emergency Physicians, Friends of Ohio Hospitals, Pfizer Pharmaceutical PAC, and all those groups who can get a break by Dick sitting on the Ohio Association of Nursing Homes’ Board. And here’s a big one for you - Vorys, Sater & Pease law firm.

Vorys is the County’s legal counsel on the Banks project, with Tom Gabelman heading up the County’s “best interests”.

You know, the more we dig, the more this stuff stinks on Dickie. This guy really is a gadabout shyster.

And Dean’s right.  He or someone listed Dickie’s occupation on the lists as an “Attorney”.  That’s criminal.

Nattering Nabob says:
24 Mar 2006  at  05:02 pm | #

Dean, that crop of newbie posters showing up - all bunched together, btw - telling you “There’s no story here,” may mean you’re on the right track. (But you knew that anyway.) Keep a’ goin’.

Colonel Kurtz says:
24 Mar 2006  at  07:11 pm | #

I have a reporter friend who told me that whenever he calls someone and they say, “There’s no story here. Why don’t you write about something else?,” he knows immediately that there is a story there and that the other person is on the run. In poker, it’s what’s known as a “tell.”

Weiland has had this amazing 30-year career of quiet string-pulling in Cincinnati and the state. Despite a stretch in the hoosgow and the loss of his ability to practice law, he jumps back in the game. The fact that he wasn’t prosecuted in the DeCourcy mess is a testament to his understanding that if one does favors for enough powerful people, one is immune from prosecution - in Cincinnati, at least. Throw some money at charities, too, and people will think you’re Mother Theresa.

It also helps that the local papers don’t cover his political machinations, but when they take the trouble to write about him, it’s to provide slathering coverage of what parties he gives and attends, what people wore, and what they ate.

Illusion of power says:
01 Apr 2006  at  05:51 am | #

An insider tells me that up in Columbus, Weiland is just a nuisance.  Folks in power give him a little bit of change just to make him go away.  10k here 5k there , never anything substancial, same with his buddy Stan.  The end result is that they get to claim to be a part of everything that goes thru the pipe, without having any real influence.  There are bigger fish to fry.

cincyboy says:
07 Apr 2006  at  10:51 pm | #

Is this a witch hunt against Dick Weiland ? It seems as if you have overlooked the many positive things that this guy has done for our community . If you do your research you will see this is true . The guy serves on more charitable boards than one can name on fingers and toes . If you did one tenth of the things he did instead of whining about your status as some sort of “dean “ maybe you could help the city instead of being some sort of self appointed de-facto watchdog . Get off your own high horse and do something positive for Cincinnati instead of being a muck raker . In 1976 Dick served his time in federal prison . He isn’t shy about discussing it and yet it is types like yourself that like to feel self important by attacking decent,hardworking Cincinatian .