By MARK TODD - Staff Writer - mtodd@starbeacon.com
CONNEAUT — An Ohio Elections Commission panel on Thursday voted Thursday to give more study to a campaign complaint lodged by Conneaut Ward 1 Councilman Dave Campbell.
Campbell believes Ward 4 Councilman Tony Julio violated state election laws when he held a press conference Oct. 22 to accuse Campbell and others of posting defamatory blogs on a discontinued Star Beacon Web site forum in 2008. The conference was timed to impact the outcome of the election, Campbell claims.
Campbell was an unsuccessful candidate for council president in Tuesday’s general election.
Thursday’s probable cause hearing was held before three of the commission members to gauge the merit of the complaint, said Nicholas Iarocci, Julio’s attorney. The panel voted 2-1 to refer the matter to the next level, Iarocci said.
“There is a very low standard of proof (at the initial hearing),” he said.
Iarocci and Julio presented documentation they maintain links Campbell to some of the offending blogs, but the panel didn’t review it, Iarocci said.
“(The panel) would not accept documents because it was a probable cause hearing,” he said. “Just oral arguments. We’re obviously disappointed they didn’t consider documentation.”
Iarocci is confident he will present the documents at the next hearing — which has not been scheduled — because at that level commissioners want “clear and convincing evidence” from the parties, he said.
There is a chance the matter could be resolved before another session is set. After the morning hearing, Iarocci said he and Julio were approached by Campbell who suggested they meet to resolve their issues.
“We’re going to take him up on it,” Iarocci said.
A call to Campbell’s business telephone number seeking comment was not answered Thursday afternoon.
