Questions raised about branding contract for U.S. Rep. Mike Turner's wife

Dayton Development Coalition has paid a firm owned by Lori Turner $300,000 so far.

10 Feb 2008 // The Dayton Development Coalition, which lobbies the Miami Valley congressional delegation for federal funds for local projects, has paid a marketing firm owned by the wife of U.S. Rep. Mike Turner more than $300,000 so far for its work on a $1.5 million regional branding campaign that resulted in the slogan, "Get Midwest."

The coalition expects to pay an as-yet-undetermined additional sum to Lori Turner's company, the Turner Effect, as the campaign enters its second half.

Past and present coalition officials say the Turner Effect was hired in 2006 without competitive bidding simply because it was the best choice among local companies. But two congressional watchdog groups in Washington said the situation creates, at best, an appearance of conflict of interest. "There is an appearance of impropriety," said Naomi Seligman-Steiner, spokeswoman for the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. "It's not illegal, but it is problematic."

Craig Holman, legislative representative for Public Citizen's Congress Watch, said, "That's something we've seen over and over again. If a lobbyist can find a way to funnel money to a member of Congress, they'll do it — even if it means hiring the congressman's spouse."

Lori Turner said the coalition contract has nothing to do with her husband, the former Dayton mayor and three-term Republican congressman from Centerville who is up for re-election this fall.

"Everybody in this community at one time or another lobbies my husband for money," she said. "I don't. That's not my venue. This is my business and my career path. I am well aware that there's this perception out there and people are looking for something wrong, but that's absolutely not the case."

The coalition is comprised of some of the area's top business and educational leaders and is funded by private, state and local public funds. It's officially nonpartisan, but most of the coalition's trustees have contributed to Mike Turner's political campaigns, according to Federal Election Commission records.

J.P. Nauseef, the coalition's president and chief executive, said the group's leaders were aware of the appearance of conflict, but decided to follow the advice of then-staffer Evan Scott, who was charged with coordinating the project.

"I strongly recommended the Turner Effect because I felt they were the only local firm with the capacity to do the job," said Scott, who has since left the coalition. "It's coincidental to me that she's married to Mike, and it's unfortunate in a way because it creates that perception (of conflict)."