Congressman files papers clarifying lobby registration dates

COLUMBUS, Ohio – An Ohio congressman who failed to disclose nearly $50,000 in political contributions while registered as a Washington lobbyist has filed papers clarifying the date the registration was deactivated.

Republican Rep. Jim Renacci’s (reh-NAY’-seez) U.S. Senate campaign spokesman James Slepian says a missing form setting Renacci’s deactivation date on Aug. 1, 2009, was filed Thursday.

The move follows an Associated Press report that found Renacci failed to disclose the contributions on lobbying forms between 2008 and 2010. His campaign says he never lobbied and his status was inactive.

Republican Senate rival Mike Gibbons says he found it “astounding” to learn from the AP report Renacci was registered as a lobbyist. He says he “kind of looked at him as outside the swamp.”

Slepian says Gibbons is just repeating “debunked attacks” peddled by Democrats in 2010 and 2012.