It's nice when the good guys win a round. In 2008, the New Summit Republicans sent out a mailer to recruit candidates to run for the county Republican Central Committee and oust GOP honcho Alex Arshinkoff. That mailer featured a photo of Hillary Clinton.
Arshinkoff had his then-party executive director file a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission alleging that NSR had violated federal election laws by using Clinton's image in the mailer. Arshinkoff argued that the use of the picture constituted expressed support or opposition to a candidate for federal office by a committee not authorized to do so.
On March 4, 2009, the FEC unanimously rejected Arshinkoff's claim and dismissed the matter.
Excerpts from the FEC's decision:
"The matter... appears to be an attempt to bring a federal agency's resources to bear on a local party committee's intra-party leadership contest.
"We find (Arshinkoff's) arguments unpersuasive, because to make this claim requires reading a small portion of the brochure (and worse, only a portion of one sentence) in isolation, and devoid of any context.
"It strains credulity to believe that, not withstanding the brochure's clear electoral message against the incumbent Summit County Republican Party chairman in a local party leadership election, the brochure was actually advocating the defeat of Senator Clinton in an election eight months later.
"We vote to dismiss the matter."
Translation: You wasted our time and taxpayer money with your ridiculous complaint, Alex. Stop trying to get bigger bullies to fight with you on the playground.
Of course, while Arshinkoff has been consumed with this important matter, the Summit County Republican Party continues to die. A sheriff, a handful of judges, and a six-figure debt. Happy days are surely here again!
