For more information, contact:
Ohio Ethics Commission
(614) 466-7090

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

MARCH PRIMARY REQUIRES EARLY DISCLOSURE FILING DEADLINES FOR CANDIDATES

Because the primary falls earlier in 2008, the Ohio Ethics Commission is reminding candidates to state, city, and county elected offices (including incumbents who have been certified as candidates) who are participating in the March 4, 2008 primary election that the deadline for filing the required financial disclosure statement is earlier this year and falls on Monday, February 4, 2008, which is 30 days before the primary election date. The financial disclosure deadline for write-in candidates falls on Wednesday, February 13, which is 20 days before the primary election date.

Completed and signed financial disclosure statements must be filed at the Commission offices by the deadline or must be U.S. postmarked on or before the deadline. The Commission is required to assess fees against any person who files late, which equals $10 each day the statement is late, up to a maximum of two hundred fifty dollars ($250).

Blank copies of the financial disclosure statement can be obtained from the county boards of elections or the Ohio Ethics Commission. Blank statements can also be downloaded from the Commission's Website at www.ethics.ohio.gov. For more information about financial disclosure statements or the filing process, please contact the Commission at (614) 466-7090 or visit its Website.

The Ohio Ethics Commission is an independent state agency that administers the financial disclosure process for state and local public officials and employees outside of the General Assembly and judiciary, in addition to its advisory, education, and investigative responsibilities. The Commission was created almost 30 years ago upon the enactment of the Ohio Ethics Law in 1973.

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