Ohio officials get formal complaint on Fox

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 3 (UPI) -- The Democratic Governors Association has filed a complaint with the Ohio Elections Commission accusing Fox News Channel of illegal campaign contributions.

The complaint alleges Fox made an illegal in-kind contribution to the gubernatorial campaign of Republican nominee John Kasich by plugging his Web site during his Aug. 18 appearance on the cable channel's "The O'Reilly Factor."

The formal complaint alleges the Kasich campaign raised more than $21,000 as a result of what it called the solicitation by Fox News Channel, the liberal Talking Points Memo Web site reported Friday.

Association Executive Director Nathan Daschle told the Web site it's one thing to permit a candidate to pitch a Web site on the air, but another to televise the site's URL.

"We talked to other networks and other networks told us they have policies against putting up campaign Web sites like Fox did ..., " Daschle said. "Certainly other networks will have candidates on the air. But people don't take it as far as Fox does."

Kasich, a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio, hosted "Heartland with John Kasich" on Fox News Channel until the show went off the air in 2007.