Kasich connected pensions, Lehman

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WASHINGTON - Republican gubernatorial candidate John Kasich tried to persuade two state pension funds in 2002 to invest with Lehman Brothers while he was the managing director of the investment banking house's Columbus office.

In a reply to questions from The Dispatch, Kasich campaign officials acknowledged that the former congressman helped arrange the two meetings between Lehman officials and representatives of the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund and the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System, known as OPERS.

Kasich campaign officials said in a statement that "these meetings did not result in business for Lehman Brothers, and John earned no commission from this or any other public sector business." Kasich never approached any other Ohio governmental entity about doing business with Lehman, the campaign said.

"John's work at Lehman Brothers wasn't focused on the public sector but on helping entrepreneurs and private companies raise capital to expand and grow," Rob Nichols, a Kasich campaign spokesman, said in the statement. "At the request of a New York-based colleague, he was glad to help arrange two introductory meetings, and then his colleagues took things from there."

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