Feds say GOP treasurer stole nearly $1 million from campaign accounts
William Curlis, 76, was charged by the Cincinnati-based U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Ohio, which has jurisdiction over investigations covering in Columbus. Columbus-based U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Ohio has charged 76-year-old William Curlis with wire fraud. Curlis, who served as campaign treasurer for over 100 candidates since the 1980s, allegedly defrauded candidates of about $995,231 in campaign cash from 2008 through June 2023. He allegedly wrote checks from candidates' bank accounts and a political action committee to himself for personal use without their knowledge. Among the alleged victims were those of State Sen. Stephanie Kunze, Franklin County Engineer Cornell Robertson and Ron O’Brien. The case was investigated by the FBI's Southern Ohio Public Corruption Task Force and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.
Published : 4 weeks ago by Laura Hancock, Laura Hancock | [email protected], lahancock in Politics
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man who served as a campaign treasurer for more than 100 candidates since the 1980s was charged in federal court with wire fraud, after an investigation found nearly $1 million missing.
William Curlis, 76, was charged by a bill of information that was filed Thursday by the Cincinnati-based U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Ohio, which has jurisdiction over investigations covering in Columbus. A plea agreement also was filed in the case, but it was not immediately made public on Thursday.
Court document state Curlis defrauded candidates of about $995,231 in campaign cash from 2008 through June 2023. He allegedly wrote checks from candidates’ bank accounts and a political action committee to himself for personal use without candidates’ knowledge, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Among the candidates he allegedly stole from were several in the central part of the state. State Sen. Stephanie Kunze, from the Columbus suburbs, Franklin County Engineer Cornell Robertson and Ron O’Brien, the former Franklin County prosecutor, have filed complaints with the Ohio Elections Commission about Curlis, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Those cases are under review.
“As the campaign treasurer and only signatory on numerous bank accounts, Curlis took advantage of his trusted position and wrote checks to himself from the accounts of multiple candidates and one PAC,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker. “I urge candidates, PACs, and businesses alike to protect themselves from future fraud by examining their accounting processes for vulnerabilities and other blind spots. Embezzlement is often committed by persons who take advantage of the victim’s trust, and I encourage everyone to reassess from time to time the safeguards they have in place.”
Wire fraud is a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer has reached out to an attorney for Curlis seeking comment.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, both Republicans, worked alongside the office of Parker, a Joe Biden appointee, on the case. Law enforcement with the FBI’s Southern Ohio Public Corruption Task Force, which includes agents from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Columbus police and the Ohio Auditor’s office also investigated.
“Fraud and abuse will not be tolerated in Ohio,” he said in the statement. “When our Public Integrity Division became aware of this matter, we immediately began investigating and referred our findings directly to federal law enforcement. We will continue working alongside our partners to bring bad actors to justice and to root out any criminality in campaigns and elections.”
“This defendant believed he could outsmart his clients by shuffling funds while skimming off the top – a scheme that worked for a while, but he couldn’t outwit law enforcement,” Yost said.
Laura Hancock covers state government and politics for The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com.
Topics: GOP