Plain Press

Council Leadership Fund: Who are the big donors?

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     (Plain Press September 2025) Those attending the Co-op Circles Cleveland City Council Candidates Forum on municipal economic policy on July 31st at Pilgrim Church were greeted outside by Mike Seals carrying a protest sign. On one side the sign said, “End Kleptocracy Now”, on the other side the sign said, “County Politics is a cancer that must be exposed before it can be cured”.

     Seals, a Ward leader in the old Ward 7 (new Ward 8) Democratic Club, was schooled in the political philosophy of the late Hough area Councilwoman Fannie Lewis. Councilwoman Lewis famously said, “Money and politics are what make the world go round. If you don’t have money, you better have politics.”

ANALYSIS

     Seals is concerned about the corrupting influence of money in picking winners and losers in political contests. He knows of the advantage incumbent City Council members have who are in good standing with City Council Leadership because of the financial support their campaigns receive from the Council Leadership Fund.

     Inside the forum, candidates were asked if they would accept donations from the Council Leadership Fund. Ward 12 City Council Candidate Tanmay Shah called it a “slush fund.”

     The Council Leadership Fund allows donors to give campaign contributions of up to $16,000. This much greater than the $3,000 limit for contributions to individual City Council candidates.

     While the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections has not yet posted donations to the Council Leadership Fund for 2025, a look back at some of the past donations to the fund may help voters to get an idea of the people and organizations that have made sizable donations to the Council Leadership Fund.

     Here is a look at those individuals or organizations who gave $1,000 or more to the Council Leadership Fund from 2021 to 2024. The Ohio Campaign Finance Reports are from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections Website. Artificial Intelligence Assistance was used to compile a list from each report of donors who gave $1,000 or more.

Ohio Campaign Finance Report: 10/2021

  1. Albert Ratner – $13,700.00 ​
  2. J. David Heller – $10,000.00 ​
  3. Wesley Finch – $5,000.00 ​
  4. Blake Bendett – $5,000.00 ​
  5. Pipe Fitters Local 120 – $1,000.00 ​
  6. Greater Cleveland Partnership – $1,000.00 ​
  7. Albert Marous – $1,000.00 ​
  8. International Electrical Workers – $1,000.00 ​

Ohio Campaign Finance Report: 12/2021

  1. Rock Holdings (PAC) – $13,704.41 ​
  2. Susan Haslam – $13,700.00 ​
  3. Calfee Fund for Good Government – $2,500.00 ​

Ohio Campaign Finance Report: April 2022

  1. RMS Investment Group (Albert Ratner) – $13,700.00 ​
  2. The Project Group PAC – $2,000.00 ​
  3. 1st Interstate Properties (Mitchell Schnider) – $2,500.00 ​
  4. Keith Rogers – $2,500.00 ​
  5. Greater Cleveland Partnership CP1083 – $1,500.00 ​
  6. Pennant PAC 14726 – $1,000.00 ​
  7. McDonald Hopkins LLC, PAC – $1,000.00 ​
  8. Dominic Lozanne – $1,000.00 ​
  9. Angelo Martin – $1,000.00 ​
  10. Adrian Thompson – $1,000.00 ​
  11. David Douglas – $1,000.00 ​

Ohio Campaign Finance Report: 9/2022

  1. Raymond Park – $13,700.00 (Check, 7/8/22) ​
  2. David Heller – $9,629.77 (EFT, 6/29/22) ​

These are the only donations of $1,000 or more mentioned in the document.

Ohio Campaign Finance Report: September 2022

  1. Wesley Finch Amount: $10,000.00; Address: 3625 Carlton Place, Boca Raton, FL ​
  2. Audrey Ratner Amount: $5,000.00; Address: 5150 Three Village Dr. #P-D, Lyndhurst, OH ​
  3. Shakorie Davis Amount: $5,000.00; Address: 2768 Lander Road, Cleveland, OH
  4. Robert Klonk; Amount: $5,000.00; Address: 21363 Cedar Creek Dr, Strongsville, OH ​
  5. Laborers Union Local 860 PCE Amount: $5,000.00; Address: 3334 Prospect, Cleveland, OH
  6. Dan Moore Amount: $2,500.00; Address: 2626 Fairmount Blvd., Cleveland Heights, OH ​
  7. Mitchell Schneider Amount: $2,500.00; Address: 25333 Cedar Road Suite 300, Lyndhurst, OH ​
  8. Iron Workers Local 17 PCE ​Amount: $2,500.00; Address: 1544 East 23rd, Cleveland, OH
  9. Bowen Construction LLC (David Bowen) ​Amount: $2,500.00; Address: 1300 Shaker Blvd, Cleveland, OH ​
  10. Korhrman, Jackson & Krantz LLP (Jon Pinney) ​Amount: $2,500.00; Address: 13754 East 9th, Cleveland, OH ​
  11. David Jenkins Amount: $2,500.00; Address: 24552 Annie Ave, Westlake, OH ​
  12. Frank Sinitto Amount: $2,500.00; Address: 1300 Key Tower, Cleveland, OH ​
  13. Calfee for Good Government PAC ​Amount: $2,500.00; Address: 1405 East 6th, Cleveland, OH
  14. State PAC OH (Rock Holding) ​Amount: $1,704.00; Address: 1101 S. Washington, Lansing, MI
  15. Tom Bellish Amount: $1,000.00 ​Address: 66 E. Mill St., Akron, OH ​
  16. Morton Levin Amount: $1,000.00 ​Address: 1801 E. 9th St. Suite 1505, Cleveland, OH ​
  17. Elizabeth Powell Dadzie ​Amount: $1,000.00 ​ Address: 8032 Porter House Pl, Dunn Loring, VA ​
  18. Richard Arnstine Amount: $1,250.00 Address: 3979 Beechmobt Tr, Beachwood, OH ​
  19. Zach Pinkert Amount: $1,250.00 Address: 90 N Strawberry Ln, Moreland Hills, OH ​
  20. Spangenberg, Shibley & Uber LLP (Dennise Lansdowne) ​ Amount: $1,000.00 ​Address: 1001 Lakeside Ave, Cleveland, OH
  21. Kammz Plaza LLC (James Carney) ​Amount: $1,000.00 ​Address: 2001 Crocker Rd, Cleveland, OH ​
  22. Richard Pogue Amount: $1,000.00 Address: 901 Lakeside Ave, Cleveland, OH
  23. Fred Stettinius & Hollister Better Gov Fund ​ Amount: $1,500.00  Address: 127 Public Square, Cleveland, OH
  24. Construction Employers Douglas and Associates LPA ​Amount: $1,000.00 ​Address: 4725 Grayron Rd, Cleveland, OH ​
  25. Fishman Amount: $1,000.00 ​Address: 2683 Leighton Rd, Shaker Heights, OH ​
  26. Ozanne Amount: $1,000.00 ​Address: 27900 Woodland, Pepper Pike, OH ​
  27. Climaco, Wilcox & Peca LPA PAC OH 574 ​Amount: $1,000.00 ​ Address: 55 Public Square, Cleveland, OH
  28. McDonald Hopkins LLC PAC ​Amount: $1,000.00 ​Address: 600 Superior Ave, Cleveland, OH
  29. Walter Haverfield LLP ​Amount: $1,000.00 Address: 1301 East 9th, Cleveland, OH

Ohio Campaign Finance Report: October 2022

  1. Robert Kanner – $13,700.00 ​
  2. Sheet Metal Workers (COPE 33) – $7,000.00 ​
  3. Cleveland Teachers Union (PCE) – $2,500.00 ​

Ohio Campaign Finance Report: 10/2023

  1. Twenty-One Six Development LLC (John Pinney) – $15,499.69 ​
  2. 3740 Carnegie LLC (Jay Lucarelli) – $15,499.69 ​
  3. Rock Holdings PAC-OH – $15,499.64 ​
  4. Laborers Local 860 PCE – $7,500.00 ​
  5. David Heller – $10,000.00 ​
  6. Jeffery Nock – $5,000.00 ​
  7. Robert Klonk – $5,000.00 ​
  8. Cleveland Browns Football Co. LLC (Susan Bagwell Haslam) – $3,875.00 ​
  9. Cleveland Browns Football Co. LLC (James Arthur Haslam) – $3,875.00 ​
  10. Cleveland Browns Football Co. LLC (Whitney Haslam Johnson) – $3,875.00 ​
  11. Cleveland Browns Football Co. LLC (James Wood Johnson) – $3,874.69 ​
  12. Pipefitters Local 120 Union PAC – $1,800.00 ​
  13. Morton Levin – $1,000.00 ​
  14. Anthony Coyne – $1,000.00 ​
  15. Climaco, Wilcox & Peca PAC OH-574 – $1,000.00 ​

Ohio Campaign Finance Report: 11/2023

  1. Wesley Finch – $10,000.00 ​
  2. Sheet Metal Workers COPE 33 – $10,000.00 ​
  3. Cleveland Teachers Union PCE – $2,500.00 ​
  4. Realtors Political Action Committee OH-401 – $2,500.00 ​
  5. Iron Workers Local 17 PCE – $2,500.00 ​
  6. Construction Employers PAC OH-117 – $2,000.00 ​
  7. Benesch, Friedlander, etc. ​ Robert Zimmerman – $1,000.00 ​
  8. Better Government Fund OH-1146 – $1,000.00 ​
  9. GCP PAC – $1,000.00 ​
  10. Adam Fishman – $1,000.00 ​
  11. Cleveland Firefighter Association – $1,000.00 ​

Ohio Campaign Finance Report: January 9, 2024

  1. KRA Management (James Kassouf) ​Address: 1370 West 6th St, Cleveland, OH 44113 Date: 1/9/24 ​Amount: $5,000.00 ​
  2. Prime Stations Property (James Kassouf Jr) ​Address: 1370 West 6th St, Cleveland, OH 44133 ​ Date: 1/9/24 ​ Amount: $5,000.00 ​
  3. Metro Parking System (James Kassouf Jr) ​ Address: 1370 West 6th St, Cleveland, OH 44133 ​Date: 1/9/24 ​ Amount: $5,000.00 ​

Ohio Campaign Finance Report: 2/6/2024

  1. Jason Lucarelli – $9,000.00

Ohio Campaign Finance Report: 2024

  1. Rock Holdings PAC OH-OH – $15,499.69 (9/16/2024) ​
  2. Cleveland Guardians Baseball Co. LLC – $15,000.00 (5/28/2024) ​
  3. Albert Ratner – $10,000.00 (9/12/2024) ​
  4. Jeffrey Nock – $10,000.00 (8/8/2024) ​
  5. Wesley Finch – $10,000.00 (8/8/2024) ​
  6. Biden Victory Fund – $10,000.00 (10/3/2024) ​
  7. Iron Workers Local PCE – $5,000.00 (8/8/2024) ​
  8. J.K. & K (Jan Pinney) – $5,000.00 (8/8/2024) ​
  9. Twenty 21 Six Development LLC (Jan Pinney) – $5,000.00 (8/8/2024) ​
  10. Realtors Political Action PAC OH CP-411 – $5,000.00 (8/30/2024) ​
  11. Pipe Fitters Local 120 PAC – $5,000.00 (8/8/2024) ​
  12. Laborers Local 860 PCE – $5,000.00 (8/8/2024) ​
  13. Robert Klonk – $5,000.00 (8/2/2024) ​
  14. KRA Management LLC (Abigail Kassouf) – $5,000.00 (4/22/2024) ​
  15. First Energy Properties, LTD (Mitchell Schneider) – $2,500.00 (8/16/2024) ​
  16. Morton Levin – $2,500.00 (8/2/2024) ​
  17. Calfe for Good Government – $2,500.00 (8/8/2024) ​
  18. Dominic Ozanne – $1,000.00 (8/8/2024) ​
  19. Ben, Friedlander, Coplan & Arnold (Robert Zimmerman) – $1,000.00 (8/8/2024) ​
  20. Cleveland Fire Fighters Association PAC – $1,000.00 (8/8/2024) ​
  21. DLZ-OHIO OH-PAC – $1,000.00 (9/16/2024) ​
  22. Taft, Stetinius & Hollister PAC OH-1146 – $1,000.00 (10/7/2024) ​
  23. Gina Merritt – $1,000.00 (8/8/2024) ​
  24. Thomas Adler – $1,000.00 (8/7/2024) ​
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