Josh Mandel, Senate Candidate And Ohio Treasurer, Attends Board Of Deposit Meeting

Senate candidate and Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel showed up on Monday for his job running the Buckeye State's Board of Deposit meeting for the first time in 15 months.

Mandel, who has not appeared at board meetings for unknown reasons since he was elected treasurer, announced at Monday's session that he was removing two banks -- which he accused of fraud during his 2010 campaign -- from the list of institutions holding state deposits. The board oversees billions in state holdings.

Democrats were not impressed by the Republican treasurer's appearance.

"Josh Mandel's attendance at today's Board of Deposit meeting ... is only made more offensive by his supposed excuse for choosing to attend," said Justin Barasky, a spokesman for Mandel's Democratic rival, Sen. Sherrod Brown. "Had Josh Mandel truly been concerned with protecting retirees and taxpayers from fraud, he would have taken the initiative to act more than a year ago -- not when it became politically expedient for him to do so."

Mandel has endured a slew of bad press lately because of his absense at board meetings and a recent visit to the Bahamas to raise money from the pay-day loan industry.

"While we're glad to see Josh made it back from his Bahamas fundraiser, the fact that he had to be shamed into attending his first Board of Deposit meeting in 15 tries does nothing to change the fact that Mandel has ignored his responsibilities to Ohio taxpayers and can't be trusted to do his job," Barasky added.

Mandel's campaign did not respond to two requests for comment.

One of the banks Mandel chose as a replacement on the state list, Citigroup, recently failed the federal government's large-bank stress test.

Comments

[fitley]

01:56 AM on 04/13/2012

Ohio. Nuff said.

[fitley]

01:55 AM on 04/13/2012

Is this a problem with Republicans? Seems like standard M.O.

[Concerned Objective]

05:51 PM on 03/22/2012

As an expert in this specialty field, I can assure you that this is beyond poor judgement. Incompetence on a major scale.
Interesting that JP Morgan just settled a similar law suite for over $150 million based on breach of fiduciary duties and this guy just hired them. Amazing.

[l78lancer]

03:54 AM on 03/21/2012

Citibank fails the stress test yet he places them on the list? He is either incompetent or simply doesn't care about taking his fiduciary responsibilities seriously. It's clear who his daddy is.

[l78lancer]

03:51 AM on 03/21/2012

I though conservatives didn't believe in cloning? If not how do they manage to find all of these clowns who have the same character defects?

[hhoc612710]

04:37 PM on 03/20/2012

Seriously this Mandel looks like a 15 years old kid.

[hang319]

04:12 PM on 03/20/2012

If I didn't show up for 15 meetings, I'd be fired. Isn't there anything in Ohio law to cover this malfeasance in office?

[Payd Troll]

04:09 PM on 03/20/2012

how many of us kept our jobs when we didn't show up for 15 months? ZERO

[gurukalehuru]

04:09 PM on 03/20/2012

Whoops, can't blame the headline writers for this, it's my own quickness to jump to the wrong conclusion that caused me to read the headline, look at his picture and say "What's so offensive about his appearance?"

[littleolwinemakerme]

04:23 PM on 03/20/2012

Pinnochio effect, I'm sure.

[Payd Troll]

04:07 PM on 03/20/2012

is mommy going to make calls on your behalf a la marilyn quayle?

[nojust1]

03:25 PM on 03/20/2012

He looks a bit like Slim Shady.

[nevernot]

03:15 PM on 03/20/2012

Hmmm, republicans are always complaining about people accepting tax dollars and benefits to not work, so where's all the outrage at people like this? He went on a fifteen month paid vacation on our tax money, has the best healthcare, and is privy to insider information as a steward of his office. Between him and Michelle "no votes" Bachmann we could have fed and sheltered dozens of needy citizens.

[Summer77]

03:51 PM on 03/20/2012

Tell me about it! Why isn't Fox on his tail about this? Do you think Hangtiti will address this or what? LOL

[paulwl]

03:11 PM on 03/20/2012

We have a Gold Digger like that in Indiana named Murdock. He is run for U.S. Senate!

[BBackSoon]

03:06 PM on 03/20/2012

Wonder who is pulling his chain?

[El Justiciero]

03:03 PM on 03/20/2012

What a schmuck.