Cleveland Plain Dealer...
Raising speculation of a feud between Kasich and Ohio GOP leadership, local donor calls for DeWine’s resignation 
October 30, 2011 

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A generous Republican donor from Northeast Ohio has called for Ohio GOP Chairman Kevin DeWine’s resignation, stoking speculation of a rift between the party’s leadership and Republican Gov. John Kasich’s administration. 

Jon Lindseth, a businessman from Hunting Valley who has contributed about $200,000 to Republican candidates since 2001, sent DeWine a brief e-mail on Thursday expressing his displeasure. 

“Enough is enough,” said the e-mail, obtained by The Plain Dealer. “You crossed the line. Time for you to resign.” 

The root of the problem appears to stem from Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s now-infamous stop in the Cincinnati area this week. 

The Ohio Republican Party billed his visit as one to rally phone bank volunteers dialing up support for Issue 2, the Senate Bill 5 referendum and Issue 3, a Tea Party initiative aimed at blocking part of the federal health care law. 

Romney initially refused to take a stand on the issues, only to backtrack and throw his support behind Issue 2. 

The confusion led to speculation among Republican insiders that Romney was used as a pawn in the feud between Kasich and DeWine. 

Lindseth could not be reached to comment on Friday.

pdstock-politics-kevin-dewine.JPGPD fileKevin DeWine 

DeWine did not dispute the e-mail’s authenticity. 

“You need to talk to Jon as to his reasons and whether they still hold true,” he said in an e-mail to The Plain Dealer on Friday. DeWine declined to comment further when contacted by phone later in the day. 

Lindseth and his wife, Virginia, contributed a total of more than $33,000 to Kasich’s 2010 gubernatorial campaign. 

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