Ohio AG Marc Dann resigns
Pressured out by his own party
By Kevin Holtsberry Posted in Marc Dann | Ohio | Scandal | State Politics — Comments (11) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
It seems that Marc Dann finally realized that the gig was up and he couldn't hang on:
Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann resigned this afternoon, just hours after the inspector general’s office launched a raid on his office.
The embattled Democrat made the announcement in a joint appearance with Gov. Ted Strickland in the governor’s cabinet room, next to his Statehouse office. The governor called it a “sad day” for Ohio but said he is “pleased” Dann quit.
It's up to Strickland to appoint a successor until Ohioans vote in November on someone to fill out the final two years of Dann’s term. Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher has been among those mentioned as a possible successor.
Dann’s decision comes after a week and-a-half of increasing pressure to get Dann out of office, and a little more than five weeks after The Dispatch revealed sexual harassment complaints by two women employees against their supervisor in the attorney general's office, a longtime Dann friend.
Investigators descended on Dann’s offices in the Rhodes Tower shortly after 11 this morning, defying Dann’s legal arguments that they had no right to investigate his office.
The situation is thick with irony. Dann was one of the loudest critics of former Governor Bob Taft and hammered Ohio Republicans on the so called "culture of corruption" theme over and over. Surprised when his tactics worked, he found himself elected to a critical statewide office lacking the competence and leadership skills to do the job.
Now he finds himself forced to resign after articles of impeachment were filled against him by his own party and his office was searched by the inspector general in the aftermath of revelations that his office was rife with sexual harassment and improper relationships; including an affair between Dann and his scheduler. All Taft did was play golf with friends and fill out some paperwork wrong!
That old adage that you need to be loved or feared is applicable here. Dann's bombastic style and lack of judgment alienated even fellow Democrats. Lacking power or friends he soon found himself without a political card to play.
Ohio Democrats appreciate the fact that they have gained the power they have - they control four out of five statewide offices but the GOP controls the General Assembly - thanks to some screw ups by Republicans and an appearance of moderation and stability. There was no way they were going to let someone like Marc Dann put that at risk.
The netroots might take note that angry attack style politics is not how Democrats have found success in critical swing states. And if the party doesn't find you useful they will kick you to the curb without blinking an eye.
Ohio AG Marc Dann resigns 11 Comments (0 topical, 11 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
I'm not going to concede that the Dems finally have scruples, but at least they are smart enough to get rid of a rotten apple. Now how about Rep. Chilly Jefferson in LA, Dems?
We need to do some house cleaning ourselves before voters start looking at the GOP as a reputable bunch.
Does Gov get to name the new AG and does he or she need to be approved by legislature?
"It's up to Strickland to appoint a successor until Ohioans vote in November on someone to fill out the final two years of Dann’s term."
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Kevin Holtsberry
www.shnblog.com
alienated even fellow Democrats. Lacking power or friends he soon found himself without a political card to play.
Gee...sounds kind of familiar, doesn't it?
"I will look for people in the cast of John Roberts, Samuel Alito, and my friend the late William Rehnquist – jurists of the highest caliber who know their own minds, and know the law, and know the difference." - John McCain
of has a name that begins with "E", and ends with "liot Spitzer."
Anyhow, does anybody have any likely candidates for this seat in November?
"I will look for people in the cast of John Roberts, Samuel Alito, and my friend the late William Rehnquist – jurists of the highest caliber who know their own minds, and know the law, and know the difference." - John McCain
Prior to the election there were news reports all over the state about Dann's questionable integrity and total incompetence.
Yet Ohio voters were so hell bent to get rid of Republicans they rejected former AG Betty Montgomery for this sleaze ball.
Voters are not looking for classy elected officials with character they are looking for revenge or someone to fill their outstretched hands.
According to the Columbus Dispatch, a hostile work environment, a sexual harassment suit, and an adulterous affair are the least of Dann's problems. Seems some dealings with gambling interests while he was running for AG have come back to haunt him.
From the Dispatch:
"Dann spokesman Ted Hart initially said yesterday that he was unaware of an FBI probe. Hart, however, then talked to Dann, who told him that he knew the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission had initiated a gambling investigation."
Dann courted these "gambling interests" while he was running for office, saying he had no problem with their "skill games". (Former AG Petro was attempting to shut them down.) After he took their money and got into office, Dann turned the dogs on them and shut them down. Now, apparently there are some issues surrounding these dealings that the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission wants to know about. No one is revealing who invited the FBI to the party, though.
Here's the link: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/05/13/DANN1...
Any idea on who Republicans will nominate cause now until Nov is not that long and can this race be start of rebuilding the party?
Would Betty Montgomery be good and helped by voters remorse?
I'm guessing she would, but at the same time, she's not exactly who we need to inspire a new generation of Ohio pols.
"I will look for people in the cast of John Roberts, Samuel Alito, and my friend the late William Rehnquist – jurists of the highest caliber who know their own minds, and know the law, and know the difference." - John McCain
That Marc Dann is out of office. As an Ohioan, I warned as many people as I could about the kind of person Marc Dann was when he was running in '06. I knew from first hand experience. Let's just hope Strickland doesn't follow his conscience when appointing a new AG, maybe we'll end up with someone as awesome as Jim Petro was. Eliot Spitzer, Marc Dann, Kwame Kilpatrick, Rep. William Jefferson...remind me again, which party has a culture of corruption?
Well, it must have been that bad, since hell will freeze over before a Democrat resigns from ANYTHING out of shame.
Unfair. Unbalanced. Unmedicated. -- IMAO