Dann Death Delayed Lawmakers File Articles of Impeachment, Approve Investigation by Inspector General ePluribus Media OhioNews Bureau COLUMBUS, OHIO: Like an anxious Madame DeFarge waiting for the next head of a French nobleman to be lopped off to make the crowd roar, so too were print reporters and bloggers ready Tuesday to announce that Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann had lost his head, metaphorically of course, by resigning his post as Ohio lawmakers filed Articles of Impeachment and passed legislation launching an immediate investigation of the state's wounded and weary top cop by the Ohio Inspector General.
Since making his confession to the world on May 2nd about his extramarital affair with his young, female scheduler and apologizing for hiring three friends and confidents who were fired the same day for bad behavior, including violating agency policy on sexual harassment, misuse of state property, possibly suborning perjury and other actions that when added together resulted in findings that have resulted in calls for him to resign or face impeachment, Marc Dann, a candidate who beat a formidable Republican challenger in 2006 when no one thought he would and whose campaign platform was built on integrity, honesty, and transparence, did not go quietly into the night of resignation as some thought he would today. Dann postponed his sudden death by a day or more as negotiations with legislative leaders on delaying an investigation by Ohio Inspector General Tom Charles evaporated by day’s end. According to published reports, Dann appeared ready to do what’s been asked of him by nearly every statewide office holder and member of the General Assembly for the past two weeks – resign voluntarily. By resigning without forcing state leaders to remove an official from office by using a process that has laid dormant for over 200 years, Dann would avoid being prohibited from holding public office in Ohio again. He still may face the prospect of loosing his license to practice law in the state and he could be forced to repay the costs of a state-initiated investigation, if that indeed happens. But the pugnacious lawyer from Youngstown balked at resignation as he sought to make a tradeoff with Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, and House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, who would not relent on delaying for three months the start of an investigation by Charles into the scandals he’s been the vortex of in his agency. The legislature, still controlled by Republicans who hold a commanding lead in the Senate but a slim majority in the House, was ready to press forward with its charges against Dann and to immediately launch a state investigation. Offering few words on whether he would resign today or not, Dann told a reporter from The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer this: “"At this point, that's not what I'm going to do."
In the afternoon, Gov. Ted Strickland’s chief spokesman, Keith Dailey, confirmed in a published report that Lieutenant Gov. Lee Fisher, a former Ohio Attorney General, had met with Dann at Dann's request. Articles of Impeachment filed in the morning included nine impeachable charges that ranged from obstructing an internal investigation and giving misleading statements to the commission of acts of gross neglect of duty to committing gross acts of immorality. When it wants to, the Ohio General Assembly can work miracles, as it did today when the House passed a bill giving Charles authority to investigate allegations of mismanagement in Dann’s office and the handling of a pair of sexual harassment complaints filed against a supervisor and close friend of Dann by a vote of 83-13. The bill moved to the upper chamber, where Dann served as a senator before winning the race of Attorney General, and got a 32-0 vote. Dailey said Fisher urged Dann to resign. Dailey would not comment further on the discussion between the two office holders. When asked to comment on the action of the legislature today with respect to the impeachment charges, Strickland said his colleagues were just doing “what they said they would do when they asked Dann last week to resign or face impeachment.” “I remain hopeful that, upon reflection, the attorney general will conclude that it is in his best interest, the best interest of the state of Ohio and of the office of attorney general to step down,” [Strickland, The Columbus Dispatch]
In other news related to Dann, reports indicate the FBI may look into Dann’s relationship with gambling interests, who contributed substantially to his 2006 run for office. The FBI would neither confirm nor deny the report. At issue is whether Dann made promises to his contributors, who were fighting to keep their video slot games legal in Ohio, to go back off on prosecuting them once in office. In the first months in office Dann seemed ready to regulate their operation. But when legislators and Strickland sought to eradicate the state of the games by redefining the definition of “games of skill versus games of chance,” Dann turned the powers of his office to join the campaign Strickland and legislators to make the illegal. While some voices have called for Strickland and lawmakers to give careful consideration before using the impeachment clause for actions they say are not crimes but merely very bad decisions and behavior, the juggernaut to bring Dann to justice has gained enough momentum that it seems very unlikely that anything or anyone can stop it. Dann can take solace in avoiding the executioner’s song for another day by recalling the immortal words of Scarlett O’Hara from “Gone with the Wind” about her future fortunes: “For tomorrow is another day.” About the author John Michael Spinelli is a former Ohio Statehouse government and political reporter and business columnist. He now serves as the OhioNews Bureau Chief for ePluribus Media Journal. Find ONB archives here. If readers have a news tip or story idea about Ohio politics or government, contact the OhioNews Bureau at: \n \n
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