By John Kiesewetter
Enquirer staff writer

WEST CHESTER TWP. - Butler County Commissioner Michael A. Fox has been hit by his opponents with a second campaign-finance complaint.

Fox was accused of filing inaccurate or incomplete campaign finance reports over the past four years in a letter received Monday by the Ohio Elections Commission in Columbus.

West Chester Township Trustee Catherine Stoker, a Democrat challenging Fox for commissioner in November, submitted the complaint.

Fox was accused of submitting fraudulent travel expenses in 2002 in an Ethics Commission complaint filed in April by West Chester developer Charles W. Chappell, a fellow Republican.

Stoker, after reviewing Fox's campaign reports at the Butler County Board of Elections, said she found more than 74 instances where Fox failed to provide a cancelled check or receipt for campaign expenses totaling $45,280 since 2000.

"In many cases, there were no checks at all. Zero. Zip," Stoker said. His Feb. 17 filing this year listing 37 expenditures had only five checks attached, and no receipts.

Fox said he thought that "all the checks were filed" in his reports. But his treasurer, Madge Burton of Oxford, acknowledged that she submitted only copies of cancelled checks she had at the filing deadline.

"The other checks had not cleared at that time," she said Monday.

Philip Richter, elections commission executive director, said he received Stoker's allegations Monday. He will review them this week, and determine if the commission should schedule a preliminary review.

Richter said he was surprised the Butler County elections board didn't scrutinize each report when it was filed.

"Normally, if someone has not provided something, they'll be asked to file an addendum," Richter said.

In fact, Stoker's review of Fox's finances prompted the county elections board to request additional documentation. Burton and Fox said they provided the receipts and cancelled checks last week.

Bob Mosketti, county elections director, confirmed that Burton "sent a stack of receipts and checks" last week. It will take at least two weeks to determine if Fox had satisfied all requests.

Mosketti said his staffers had been too busy recently to inspect all campaign reports.

"As soon as we can, we're getting to them. We're slightly behind, and trying to catch up," Mosketti said.

Fox pointed out that Stoker's 2002 campaign report listed only check numbers, and did not include cancelled checks or receipts as required by law.

Said Stoker Monday: "I'll ask my campaign manager, and see what's the deal."

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E-mail jkiesewetter@enquirer.com