Ritz Addresses Questions Over Campaign Donations

Updated 11:50 a.m. Friday

INDIANAPOLIS -- Democrat Glenda Ritz’s campaign only managed to raise $30,000 in the first half of 2015 and more than a quarter of those donations may have been collected in violation of state election law. 

According to financial documents submitted to the state earlier this week, the State Superintendent accepted 28 campaign donations between Jan.6 and Feb. 23, totaling more than $8,000. 

But Indiana law prohibits a candidate for state office -- which includes those running for state superintendent or governor --  from soliciting or accepting contributions during the legislative session in odd numbered years, such as 2015.  The session this year ran from Jan. 6 to April 29. 

Yet this morning, Ritz says her gubernatorial campaign did not accept any financial contributions during the 2015 session of the Indiana General Assembly.

“The contributions that were given were before the period, but I think what we have here may be a deposit date was given, instead of the actual date of when the checks were actually issued,” Ritz said this morning.

No other gubernatorial candidate received donations during the prohibited period. 

Contact Indiana Public Broadcasting statehouse reporter Brandon Smith at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow on Twitter: @brandonjsmith5.