Lobbyist gave councilman loan -

A Columbus City Council member whose committees oversee legislation dealing with road construction, red-light cameras and environmental issues borrowed money from a lobbyist whose clients are interested in the same topics.

Councilman Hearcel F. Craig reported the loan on mandatory disclosure forms, has abstained from voting on legislation involving clients of lobbyist John Raphael, and said he follows the spirit -- not just the letter -- of state ethics laws.

But the Democrat, who was appointed and then elected to the council in 2007, refused to reveal any information about the transaction beyond what is required by the Ohio Ethics Commission.

In an interview with The Dispatch, Craig refused to disclose the amount of the loan or when he received it, whether he's paying interest to Raphael or whether there's any deadline to pay the money back. He also wouldn't say whether he asked for the loan or whether it was offered to him.

Government watchdogs say such information is crucial for the public to measure any influence the deal might have.

"The cozier the relationship between lobbyists and public officials, the more likely it is to tie into their decisions," said Catherine Turcer of Ohio Citizen Action, which tracks the impact of money in politics.

Craig listed Raphael, a former government aide-turned-lobbyist, among his creditors in a 2008 financial disclosure statement that's required of elected officials in Ohio.

Ethics commission rules require officeholders to list debts of more than $1,000.

Craig said in the course of his interview with The Dispatch that he and Raphael "currently don't have any business" and "this matter has been resolved."

He also said they are "coming to a resolution" and "working toward a resolution."

When asked to clarify, he said he considers the matter resolved but is working toward a resolution.

Officeholders must file their next financial disclosures by April 15.

Craig said the loan has no bearing on his actions as a member of the City Council. Most recently, he abstained from voting on a contract for city employees' health insurance because a Raphael client, Medical Mutual of Ohio, was a bidder.

"John has not been a person who has tried to unduly influence me in any kind of way," Craig said. "Even the appearances -- if there are matters before council, I will abstain."

Raphael's clients include contractors who, according to the city auditor's office, hold more than $61.7 million in contracts with City Hall.

Among them: Nickolas Savko & Sons, which paves roads and installs sidewalks in Columbus; Kenmore Construction, which does road work and utilities projects here; and Redflex Traffic Systems Inc., the company that runs the city's red-light cameras.

Since January, Craig has headed the council's public-service committee, which oversees the city's transportation and trash operations. He's also a member of the development, finance, judiciary, safety and utilities committees and is the council's president pro-tempore, the No. 2 leadership post behind President Michael C. Mentel.

City Attorney Richard C. Pfeiffer said a loan from a city-registered lobbyist is legal under state and local laws, but his office advises council members to abstain from matters in which they have conflicts of interest.

Craig has several of those conflicts coming up.

On Monday's agenda, the City Council is to take up a $4.6 million contract for Savko to rebuild a stretch of Henderson Road in Clintonville, and members are to vote on extending the city's red-light camera contract with Redflex.

Council members also are to take up an agreement between the city and the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority to build a hotel near the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Raphael is a member of the authority board.

Raphael didn't respond to requests for comment left on his cell phone.

rvitale@dispatch.com