Democrats, Republicans gunning for Dann

By David Skolnick PROFILE IN COURAGE: The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation is honoring Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner with one of three Profile in Courage awards it’s giving Monday. [Don’t confuse this with the New Frontier Award the same foundation gave to Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams last year.] Brunner is receiving the award for her “political courage and her commitment to ensuring the enfranchising of every Ohio citizen” related to her criticism of electronic voting systems, according to the foundation. In honor of winning the award, a May 20 event is being held in Columbus to raise money for Brunner’s campaign committee. Those wanting to attend a “VIP Reception” with Brunner to congratulate her on the award are expected to write a $1,000 check to her campaign committee. The campaign is asking political action committees to contribute $2,500. The general reception is cheaper: $250 for PACs, $75 per person, and $25 for students. skolnick@vindy.com

Published:Friday, May 9, 2008

By David Skolnick

“We also want to make you aware that if you do not choose to resign, Democratic members of the Ohio House of Representatives will immediately introduce a resolution seeking your impeachment.”

That’s from a letter sent Sunday to Attorney General Marc Dann by top statewide Democrats including Gov. Ted Strickland, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and Democratic Chairman Chris Redfern.

It came two days after the release of an investigation of the attorney general’s office that includes the tolerance of sexual harassment and other unprofessional behavior as well as cronyism.

Dann, who is married, admitted to an affair with his scheduler and said that made it easier for others in the office to feel such inappropriate actions were acceptable.

Dann also admitted he wasn’t prepared to be attorney general because he never thought he had a prayer of winning the election in 2006.

Dann finds himself shunned by his political party. By any reasonable account, his time as an effective statewide officeholder is done.

But it should come as no surprise that Dann prefers continued embarrassment and the likelihood that more information making him look foolish or worse will emerge rather than resigning with what little dignity he has left.

His hiring decisions of certain management officials show he largely ignores sound political advice.

Edgar Simpson was a newspaper editor in Joplin, Mo., overseeing a staff of 40, before Dann hired him as his chief of administration and policy overseeing an office with about 1,400 employees.

Simpson also ran the newsroom at the Tribune Chronicle. At the Warren paper, Simpson supervised 21 staffers, including Dann’s wife, Alyssa Lenhoff.

When problems occurred at the office, Simpson didn’t know how to properly handle them, primarily because he had no idea how to run an operation that large. Simpson resigned last week rather than get fired.

Dann was told Rick Alli was a poor choice to be his chief of law enforcement operations. Dann made the former Youngstown police detective sergeant his “top cop.”

Alli’s previous job with the police department was to serve as media liaison. As someone who dealt with Alli in that capacity on occasion, I found his typical response to questions I had was, “I don’t know.”

Alli lasted three months before Dann fired him. Dann claimed Alli was improperly taking two salaries and never officially retired from the Youngstown police force. The job remains vacant.

I’m not going to get into the hiring of Leo Jennings III as his communications director. Our very own Bertram de Souza wrote numerous columns questioning that decision.

Hiring David L. Nelson, convicted in 1976 of killing someone, as his deputy security director seems brilliant in hindsight when compared to Dann’s decision to name Anthony Gutierrez as his director of general services.

Gutierrez, Dann’s longtime friend who lived at “Dannimal House” with the attorney general and Jennings, had a laundry list of tax liens, civil judgements and deliquent taxes owed to the state and the federal governments.

Gutierrez, who is married, also had a bad habit of sexually harassing younger women in the attorney general’s office, according to a report of the investigation.

Dann also picked this guy up from the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Canfield Post after Gutierrez was pulled over for being legally intoxicated.

This happened six weeks before Dann surprised himself by winning the attorney general’s race.

So you can see why a demand from the leaders of his political party isn’t registering with Dann.

Maybe I’m not giving the attorney general any credit.

The Sunday letter threatened immediate impeachment proceedings if Dann didn’t resign.

Dann has essentially challenged Democrats and Republicans, who also call for his resignation, to pull the trigger on impeachment. Dann insists he’s done nothing to merit impeachment, and he’s not resigning.

The last impeachment in the state happened about 200 years and it’s never happened to an elected executive statewide officeholder.

State legislative leaders are backing off of a quick and swift impeachment hearing hoping Dann resigns.

With Dann saying he’s not going anywhere, he’s put Democrats and Republicans in an awkward position regarding impeachment.

They’re so lost that Ohio Speaker of the House Jon Husted, a Republican, asked Dann to help with the process because the legislative body needs help with this issue.

By David Skolnick(Contact David)