Ohio Treasurer and Republican Senate candidate Josh Mandel flew to the Bahamas last Friday to give a speech to the payday lending industry and to raise some campaign money, reports the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
After speaking to payday lenders, Mandel held a fundraiser at the resort, the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island, but did not stay the night.
The Plain Dealer summed up the political hazard of such a trip:
But by flying to the Bahamas to raise money from payday lenders, Mandel also faces the likelihood of being accused of cozying up to an industry blasted not long ago for charging interest rates as high as 391 percent, thanks to the magic of compounding, rollovers and fees.
