Frank Jackson Super PAC “Cleveland Forward” Got Huge Money from Ratner, Gilbert, Haslam

A Political Action Committee formed in October of 2017, between Cleveland’s  primary and general elections, raised nearly $300,000 to support the campaign of Frank Jackson. Almost all of the funds were used on political advertising and consulting.

Dubbed “Cleveland Forward,” the PAC received contributions from 11 individual donors. They are:

• Jason Lucarelli, of Minute Men Staffing, who contributed $100,000, the largest individual contribution.
  
• Al Ratner, co-chairman emeritus of Forest City, who contributed $65,000, and then loaned the PAC an additional $40,000.
  
• Dan Gilbert’s Jack Ohio LLC, which gave $50,000
  
• Morton Mandel, the industrial magnate and Cleveland philanthropist whose name graces many a Cleveland institution. He gave $25,000.
  
• Jimmy Haslam and Dee Haslam, who each contributed $10,000
  
• The Samuel H. Miller Rev. Trust: $10,000
  
• Wesley Finch (real estate developer): $5,000
  
• First Interstate Properties Ltd. (real estate developer): $5,000
  
• Keycorp Advocates Fund: $5,000
  
• Chris Ronayne (President, University Circle Inc.): $500
  

Wesley Finch (The Finch Group) and Mitchell Schneider (First Interstate) are developers. The Finch Group is developing the Innova Project near the Cleveland Clinic. First Interstate is behind such projects as Steelyard Commons and One University Circle. Both are regular contributors to the Council Leadership Fund as well.

As Cleveland.com reported in October, Cleveland Forward was the brainchild of Al Ratner himself, bond attorney Fred “Weight Class” Nance, Construction Czar Dominic Ozanne, and former Mayor Mike White. Thanks to an increase in contribution limits, Frank Jackson’s fundraising advantage was already insurmountable when the PAC was formed.

This article appears in Jan 31 – Feb 6, 2018.