Scalping tickets costs ex-lawmaker Rep. John Widowfield $ 2,000

Former state Rep. John Widowfield was fined $2,000 today after pleading guilty to two first-degree misdemeanors related to his scalping of Ohio State football tickets purchased with campaign money.

Widowfield did not speak during the brief hearing except to enter guilty pleas to failing to disclose the ticket sales as income on his financial disclosure forms, and to converting campaign funds to personal use. Municipal Court Judge Paul M. Herbert fined Widowfield the maximum $1,000 for each count, but did not impose any jail time.

The Cuyahoga Falls Republican spent more than $7,700 in campaign money on Ohio State football tickets from 2002 through 2006. Such purchases are legal, but those tickets cannot be resold for personal profit.

Widowfield documented that he reaped $2,837 in profit in 2003, $610 in 2004, $2,979 in 2005 and $7,249 in 2006. He has reimbursed his campaign $13,676 to cover the proceeds

In a self-referral to the Ohio Elections Commission earlier this month, 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)."

The Elections Commission last week referred the case to Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien, who filed the two charges. source>>>

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