Cordray says contribution, contract not related

Look, Ohio Treasurer Richard Cordray is really smart. Really smart.

So smart, in fact, that I bet he would realize that when a maximum $10,000 contribution shows up from an twentysomething individual donor whose stepdad happens to be Wachovia bonds salesman, maybe he should question it.

The Dayton Daily News really nailed this one -- in the article, Daily News reporter Laura A. Bischoff observes Wachovia gained about 37 percent of the state's investment portfolio's total bonds after Cordray took office.

I think a "common sense" test would shoot some holes in Cordray's claim that the money was unrelated to the assignment of increased contracts with Wachovia -- at the very least, the appearance of impropriety is pretty obvious here. This sounds like a dirty trick for it to be leaked to the media -- likely how the Daily News ended up with it -- so late in the election season.

Wonder what this will do for Michael Crites' campaign. Cordray has said he returned the contribution, although, as Crites pointed out, after he was caught "red-handed."

Cordray sends out more press releases than every other Ohio office combined (a slight, but not complete exageration), and while I don't know him, this would lead me to believe he's media-savvy. It's no secret that state-level Democrats' credibility has already taken a beating in many Ohioans' eyes. If I were him, I would be worried about how this will play.

If this takes hold, it could means curtains for Corday. (ooh! alliteration!)