Dann gone; investigation ongoing

Area appointees among those to be reviewed

Staff, wire reports
COLUMBUS — Resignation is far from the end for former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann, who quit Wednesday amid a firestorm of criticism from all sides.

A coalition of law enforcement and administrative agencies is to convene soon under Inspector General Tom Charles to coordinate efforts and share resources as they review the conduct of Dann and others within his office, Charles said Thursday. Impeachment was the only legal threat to be raised against Dann that had been dropped as a result of him voluntarily stepping down.

Ironically, the gathering will look much like the task force that investigated former Gov. Bob Taft, his aides and associates in a scandal over the purchase of rare coins that enveloped the Taft administration and helped Dann get elected.

Charles said his probe will be wide-ranging. He said it could look at all aspects of the attorney general’s operation, even before Dann took office, and not just allegations raised during a sexual harassment investigation that saw three Dann aides forced from their jobs and two others disciplined.

Dann admitted to an affair with a subordinate after the investigative report was released and threatened to reveal the relationship. He conceded that his conduct contributed to an inappropriate atmosphere in the office.

Charles said his only agenda is to conduct a fair investigation and he can’t say how long that will take.

Meanwhile, in a Thursday memo to employees, First Assistant Attorney General Thomas Winters said the office is undertaking a complete review of the management structure and the abilities of current managers. Winters is in charge until Gov. Ted Strickland names an interim attorney general.

When asked about other Dann appointments, such as former United Auto Workers union leader Jim Kaster and former Howland police Chief Steve Lamantia, office spokesman Ted Hart said eventually everything will be reviewed.

Winters outlined other immediate priorities. Tops on the list was to observe proper decorum.

Winters made it clear the office remains committed to implementing recommendations Executive Assistant Attorney General Ben Espy made in his report on sexual harassment investigation. Those include improving the work environment and restoring public trust ‘‘with particular emphasis in the Administrative Services Section.’’ That was the section headed by Anthony Gutierrez, who was fired when Espy confirmed charges of sexual harassment against him.

Paula Paoletti, interim chief of staff, is charged with establishing a hotline for anonymous or identified employees to report ethics issues.

Before the enactment of a new law Tuesday, the inspector general in Ohio did not have the authority to investigate the attorney general, who is independently elected by Ohio voters and given power under the Ohio Constitution. A bill supported by Democrats and Republicans who want to see the Dann scandal laid to rest gives Charles limited authority to do a single review of the attorney general’s office.

The legislation came in the wake of calls led by fellow Democrats, including Strickland, for Dann to either resign or face impeachment. Dann, Strickland and Republicans who lead the Legislature all supported an independent review of Dann’s office — and Charles was chosen to do the job.

Charles said he met Wednesday with the Ohio Ethics Commission, the State Highway Patrol and the Franklin County prosecutor to discuss how his investigation will proceed. The FBI and federal Equal Employment Office in Cleveland also are thought to be looking into matters raised during the harassment investigation, though neither would confirm their involvement Thursday.

The Ohio Department of Administrative Services, the state’s human resources arm, is reviewing management practices in the attorney general’s office. Charles said it is also possible that issues will arise that will require the involvement of the Ohio Elections Commission or the secretary of state’s office, which oversees state election matters.

Phil Saken, a spokesman for House Democrats who brought articles of impeachment against Dann on Tuesday, said his resignation has made that process unnecessary. Karen Stivers, a spokeswoman for Republican House Speaker Jon Husted, said Charles’ investigation was intended to go forward whether Dann resigned or not.

Charles said Thursday he’ll start his investigation by looking at how Dann and others in the attorney general’s office handled the sexual harassment case, but he’ll review anything else that comes to his attention.

Deputies working for Charles removed a cartload of computers and files from Dann’s offices in Columbus and Youngstown on Wednesday. Charles said the deputies obtained everything they set out to get but declined to elaborate.

Dann, 46, who had resisted calls by Democrats and Republicans to resign, succumbed to the pressure Wednesday, saying he was leaving because the negative publicity was overshadowing the good work of the office’s 1,400 employees.