CLEVELAND — Ohio has been fining political candidates who violate campaign finance laws since the 1970s, but a five-month investigation by 3News and its Ohio sister stations – WTOL 11 in Toledo 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 Cuyahoga County ranking No. 1 for unpaid fines. 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 LaRose called out the problem in a press release, describing the Ohio Ele

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