CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Libertarian Party of Ohio on Monday threatened possible legal action against the Ohio Debate Commission over being left out of the gubernatorial debate in Cleveland.

The Commission is sponsoring one of three gubernatorial debates between Republican Attorney General Mike DeWine and Democratic former federal consumer watchdog Richard Cordray. Libertarian Party counsel Mark Brown states in a letter sent to media outlets the planned Oct. 8 debate in Cleveland between DeWine and Cordray violates the City Club of Cleveland's nonprofit status.

The City Club - as well as cleveland.com/Advance Ohio - are founding members of the Ohio Debate Commission, a group of more than 50 media outlets, scholarly institutions and civic organizations formed to organize political debates in Ohio.

Brown states in the letter that the City Club, as a member of the commission, is violating federal law by not including minor party gubernatorial candidates on the stage, making the debate tantamount to a political contribution to the Republicans and Democrats from a nonprofit organization.

Brown demanded that Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Travis Irvine be invited on stage for the commission's sanctioned debate.

"Should the Commission decline to do so, our clients are prepared to take the necessary steps to protect their and the public's interest in both fair elections and fairly administered charitable organizations," Brown said in the letter. "This may include legal action against the Commission, as the sponsoring entity, each hosting entity, and any candidate who participates in an unlawfully held debate, and thereby benefits from unlawful campaign contributions and expenditures."

City Club CEO Dan Moulthrop said the commission is working to schedule a forum for the third-party gubernatorial candidates, including Irvine and Green Party nominee Constance Gadell-Newton

"We're in conversations with both the Libertarian Party and the Green Party about providing an opportunity apart from the debate," Moulthrop said.