Bad Suarez #2

Is the name Benjamin Suarez familiar to you?  He's the latest example of slimy corruption and influence-peddling.

Mr. Suarez is the owner and CEO of Suarez Corporation Industries of Canton, Ohio.  He also fancies himself to be a big-wig player in the Ohio GOP.

Ben Suarez.  The would-be big-wig may be
wearing a wig.  He couldn't look any
skeevier if he tried.  The villainous
little mustache is a nice touch!

SCI is a direct marketing firm, selling useless bullshit like "The EdenPure Infraread Heater"; "Dr. Frank Ryan's Abdominal Fat Reducer"; "Arthri-Zen Topical Joint-Pain Reliever"; and "Slim And Cleanse Colon Health Complete."  The company has long held an "F" rating from the Canton BBB, but still manages to sell boatloads of its snake oil to dumbasses across the country.

In 2011, the State of California sued SCI for deceptive marketing practices and sale of unapproved drugs and devices.  The case was settled in January 2014 when Suarez agreed to pay $1.8 million in restitution and damages.

At trial right now is a 10-count federal case, in which Suarez is accused of illegal 2012 campaign contributions to Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel and U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, and of obstruction of justice.

Suarez asked/required certain SCI employees and their spouses to donate the $5000 individual maximum to both Mandel and Renacci, after which the company would reimburse them.  Not only illegal, but none too subtle either -- most of these employees had never sent a nickel to any candidate before, but now they're suddenly stroking checks for $5000.

Suarez then tried to leverage those contributions in an attempt to derail the California case.  He asked Mandel to write to the California authorities to protest the SCI lawsuit.  Young Josh, who attended a fundraiser at Suarez's home in 2011, did just that.  He even threatened to sue California if it didn't back off.

Mandel also wrote to Renacci, who in turn emailed Ohio Gov. John Kasich to share Suarez's complaints about the California case, and asked Kasich to call California Gov. Jerry Brown.  Evidently, Kasich himself did nothing, but, out of the blue, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted phoned California A.G. Kamala Harris on Suarez's behalf, and Kasich's chief counsel Michael Grodhaus sent Harris a letter asking her to review the case.

Suarez has said he was not making contributions so as to influence the California suit; he was merely doing his part to help overturn Obamacare.  ;)

In February 2013, after the FBI began looking into his campaign contributions, Suarez had his HR director send a rambling, 4-page letter to Kasich to bitch about the fed's "malicious prosecution" and to claim, bizarrely, "the fact that Barack Obama received hundreds of millions in donations from overseas by untraceable pre-paid credit cards."  (Probably from a Nigerian prince!  LOL!)

In October 2013, a SCI marketing executive committed suicide the day before he was to testify about Suarez to a grand jury.

In May 2014, the company's CFO, Michael Giorgio, pleaded guilty to violating federal campaign finance law and agreed to testify against Suarez.

In the past two days, Suarez's lawyers have tried to subpoena Kasich, Husted, Renacci, and Lt. Gov. Mike DeWine to testify on behalf of their client.  They say Suarez was just another "constituent reaching out to his elected officials."  Right.  Reaching out with $200,00 of illegal grease.  Kasich et al. have refused the subpoenas and are treating Suarez like a pariah, which he essentially is.

He may be innocent on some counts, but he's guilty on enough of 'em.  Benjamin Suarez's next place of residence will be a federal penitentiary somewhere.  Exactly where he should be.