Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) accepted campaign donations from a woman who died several months prior, records that the New York Post obtained revealed Friday.
Carol Ann Baker of Elmore died at the age of 77 on December 10, 2023, at a Toledo medical center, according to her obituary.
Despite passing away, she somehow is on record making at least two donations to the longtime senator’s campaign committee about five months later, in May, the Post reported.
The contributions amounted to $350, the records showed.
Baker served as a trustee for Harris Township, according to her page on Crosser & Priesman Funeral Home’s website.
The case was referred to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) after he conducted a preliminary investigation, during which Baker’s husband confirmed her passing.
“Our office received a complaint identifying that the Friends of Sherrod Brown committee reported receiving two contributions from an individual that was confirmed to be deceased,” LaRose spokesman Dan Lushek said.
“But, as that committee is a federal entity and not a filer with our office, we referred the complaint and our findings to the Federal Elections Commission for further action.”
Brown currently has a five-point lead over his Republican challenger, Bernie Moreno, Newsweek reported Wednesday of a SoCal Strategies survey.
“Ohioans deserve absolute confidence in their elections,” Huan Yi, head of investigations in LaRose’s office, said in an official inquiry to the FEC. “The purpose of this letter is to refer to your office potential violations of federal law for your investigation, as appropriate.”
While Brown has not commented on the investigation, Moreno’s campaign called the incident “creepy.”
“Brown’s scheme to fund his campaign with contributions from dead people isn’t just creepy, it’s illegal,” campaign press director Reagan McCarthy told the Post.
“This conspiracy deserves more scrutiny. How far does it go?”