DNC Chairman Says Florida Dems Did ‘The Right Thing’ Returning PPP loan. Ohio Dems Are Keeping Theirs!

FEATURED PHOTO: DAVID PEPPER, OHIO DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRMAN

Cincinnati.com, By Jessie Balmert-CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, Posted July 27th 2020

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez praised the Florida Democratic Party  for returning a federal loan aimed at helping small businesses survive the coronavirus outbreak. 

He thought the Ohio Democratic Party was returning a nearly $334,000 federal loan from the same program.

But so far, the Ohio Democratic Party has said it is keeping the money. 

“I think they’re doing the right thing giving it back,” Perez said of the Florida Democrats. “I thought the Ohio Democratic Party was doing the same thing. I’ll follow up with that.”

Perez told Florida reporters that the DNC was not involved in either state party’s application processes for the loans.

The Florida Democratic Party was under pressure after several Democratic state lawmakers there criticized the decision to take the loan in the first place. That hasn’t been the case in Ohio.

The Ohio Democratic Party has no plans to return the loan, which allowed the party to retain 20 employees.

The money comes from the Paycheck Protection Program, which was part of the federal stimulus package to help struggling businesses weather the novel coronavirus storm. The program has faced criticism – including from the Ohio Democratic Party – for funding publicly traded companies while shutting out small businesses.   

“The purpose of the Paycheck Protection Program is to help organizations cover payroll and benefits, and that’s precisely what it has been used for – to ensure our entire team continued to work and earn a paycheck and retain their health coverage during an unprecedented public health crisis,” Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Kirstin Alvanitakis said in a statement.

The Ohio Republican Party, which didn’t apply for a loan, has sharply criticized the Ohio Democratic Party for accepting the money.

“The hypocrisy of the Democrat Party never ceases to amaze me,” Ohio Republican Party leader Jane Timken said in a statement, adding that the Ohio Democratic Party didn’t fit the parameters of a small business. 

USA Today and Columbus Dispatch reporter Rick Rouan contributed to this article