TOLEDO, Ohio — Ohio has been fining political candidates who violate campaign finance laws since the 1970s. But a five-month investigation by WTOL 11 and its Ohio sister stations – 3News in Cleveland and 10TV in Columbus - has uncovered a troubling reality: nearly $96 million in penalties assessed since 1987 remains uncollected, and the state agency responsible for enforcing these rules is about to be eliminated.

Our analysis found 243 repeat violators across Ohio, with Lucas County ranking among the top three counties for unpaid fines — behind only Cuyahoga and Franklin counties. The fines range from $25 to $100 per day for each missed deadline or incomplete filing, and for some candidates, those daily penalties have been accumulating for years.

In May, Secretary of State Frank LaRo

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