Football Profits: Ill Gotten Gain

Wow! Talk about a blatant, ill-conceived abuse of his position. John Widowfield, then an Ohio State Representative, used campaign funds to buy Ohio State football tickets and then re-sold the tickets for profit. While buying OSU football tickets with campaign funds is apparently common and legal, Widowfield violated state ethics laws and misused his position as a lawmaker when he resold the tickets at a profit.

His shady dealings netted him $13,676 — an amount that Widowfield claims he repaid his campaign — and a misdemeanor charge for filing a false financial disclosure statement.

Shortly after an investigation by the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee, Widowfield resigned his seat in the Ohio House of Representatives. But it wasn’t until four months later that the Republican from Cuyahoga Falls admitted wrongdoing. Faced with a misdemeanor ethics violation, a charge allows for jail time, Widowfield will likely only pay a fine.

In his Elections Commission filing Widowfield wrote: "My misconduct has, quite properly, resulted in my resignation from the General Assembly. I have written a personal check to my campaign committee in the amount of the proceeds at issue but that does not excuse or change the fact that I violated" state law. Widowfield’s public apology continued, by saying, "I do not wish to excuse my conduct, but atone for it."

Widowfield’s actions not only demonstrate his severe lack of judgment and disregard for the regulations of good governance, they also mock the very people who contributed to his campaign.