We're not merely having to worry about dead people voting for Democrats, but donating to them as well. The campaign for Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), a vulnerable Democratic incumbent who is facing Republican Bernie Moreno in a "Toss-Up" race this November, accepted $350 total in two donations from Carol Ann Baker in May of this year, according to records obtained by the New York Post. However, Baker died last December.
"The original complaint was made after an Ohio resident spotted the deceased’s name on the FEC website," the Post noted. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose conducted a preliminary investigation, which involved a signed affidavit from Baker’s widower that confirmed her death. The case has been passed to the Federal Election Commission, with Ohio's investigation being completed last month.
"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," Dan Lushek, a spokesman for LaRose, told the outlet. "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."
Reagan McCarthy, the spokesperson for Moreno's campaign, also chimed in to call out the move as "creepy" and "illegal."
"Brown’s scheme to fund his campaign with contributions from dead people isn’t just creepy, it’s illegal," she told the Post. "This conspiracy deserves more scrutiny. How far does it go?"
Republicans have a pretty good chance to take back control of the Senate after the November elections, with the race out of Ohio being the one that could get them over the finish line. Brown currently leads Moreno by +3.6, according to RealClearPolling. With former and potentially future President Donald Trump leading in Ohio, and having endorsed Moreno since last December, he may help the Senate nominee in November.