GOP campaign plot alleged

Allegations have surfaced that Jim Moody was involved in a sabotage plot against D. Michael Collins' campaign for re-election last fall. THE BLADE/LORI KING Enlarge | Photo Reprints

There was no love lost between Republican businessman Jim Moody and independent city Councilman D. Michael Collins during the 2009 primary race for the Toledo mayor's office.

Neither man made it past the primary and many speculated Mr. Collins had siphoned away many of the crucial GOP votes Mr. Moody needed to make it into the general election.

Now, two years after the mayoral race, allegations have surfaced that Mr. Moody and a former GOP operative tried to sabotage Councilman Collins' campaign for re-election to council last fall. Mr. Moody has been accused in a complaint to the Ohio Elections Commission of financing anti-Collins postcards and robo-calls without the proper, lawful disclaimers describing who paid for the cards and calls.

The complaint came from Dave Schulz, who in 2006 vied for an at-large city council seat and is the leader of a political group called Citizens Organized to Bring Reform and Accountability, or COBRA.

Mr. Schulz obtained receipts and other evidence suggesting Mr. Moody had the postcards and robo-calls created and disseminated by former Lucas County Republican Party operative Larry "Matthew" Bartow -- a man who was indicted in 2006 for taking $2,330 from the campaign committee of Toledo Municipal Court Judge Robert Christiansen.

"I have a long history of fair and open, honest elections complaints," Mr. Schulz said. "That is something I believe strongly in and the law is there to have disclaimers so underhanded things like this cannot be done. My main reason is to stop [Mr. Bartow] from ripping people off and violating election law."

The postcards show a picture of Mr. Collins seated and the text says: "D-Collins, Bad for Council, Bad for Toledo."

The D-minus play on Mr. Collins' name is also on a mock report card on the postcard, giving him that "grade" for leadership, economic development, tax policy, and union patronage.

The robo-call, a copy of which was obtained by The Blade, has a woman's voice stating: "I'm calling on behalf of D minus Collins. When you go to the polls tomorrow, remember that a vote for Collins is a vote to continue D minus leadership, D minus union patronage, D minus economic development, and D minus tax policy.

"Ask yourself: Do you want a D minus for Toledo, or an A plus for Toledo?"

Toledo City Councilman D. Michael Collins THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT Enlarge | Photo Reprints

When reached by The Blade, Mr. Bartow did not deny that he created the postcards or the robo-calls, but declined to comment until he saw the complaint.

Mr. Moody, the endorsed Republican in that 2009 mayor's race and a real estate agent, did not return repeated calls for comment.

The complaint against Mr. Moody and Mr. Bartow states they have been associated since at least 2009, during Mr. Moody's campaign for mayor of Toledo.

Mr. Schulz said the effort violated state law because neither the mailer nor the robo-call contained the legally required disclaimer, and they failed to report the independent expenditures.

Mr. Collins was made aware of the postcard in November just before he was re-elected to council by easily defeating unendorsed Republican challenger Jeremy Demagall.

"I do not know Matthew Bartow and I only know Moody as a result of the campaign for mayor in 2009," Mr. Collins said. "I was made aware of the postcards and the robo-calls and my only reaction is it didn't have the impact they hoped it would have and to stoop to that level is disingenuous if those allegations are true."

In 2006, Mr. Bartow avoided a felony conviction for theft through a court diversion program. A former municipal court deputy clerk, Mr. Bartow was hired by Judge Christiansen to create and mail 5,000 pieces of campaign literature for the Republican judge's successful 2005 election bid to the court.

The information was to be mailed the same time as absentee ballots so that both would arrive in mailboxes the same day. However, an investigation by the Lucas County Republican Party revealed voters didn't get the literature. Mr. Bartow admitted to Judge Franks that he took the money, but only completed a small portion of the mailings and didn't refund the money.

Mr. Schulz and Mr. Bartow have their own history.

In an unrelated case, Mr. Bartow was accused of taking money from Mr. Schulz while he was a candidate for council in 2005. The charge, which was dismissed at the request of prosecutors in 2006, stemmed from $783 Mr. Bartow took from Mr. Schulz for his Toledo City Council campaign for automated telephone calls to registered voters before the election. Prosecutors said at the time that the theft charge would have been refiled if Mr. Bartow failed to make restitution to Mr. Schulz within a reasonable period of time.

Contact Ignazio Messina at: imessina@theblade.com or 419-724-6171.