Marc Dann’s new occupation, look out ladies
My how the mighty have fallen.
So what’s Dann going to do now that he’s no longer attorney general?
He’s going to work for his wife, Alyssa Lenhoff Dann, who sells Fiestaware on the Internet as a side job, said Mike Harshman, Dann’s attorney and a confidant.
Confidant: Dann is going to help his wife sell dinnerware over the Internet.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
By David Skolnick
Confidant: Dann is going to help his wife sell dinnerware over the Internet.
YOUNGSTOWN — During his inaugural address as attorney general Jan. 8, 2007, Marc Dann said he would work to “help restore the public’s trust in our government.”
With his honesty and integrity in question, Dann resigned Wednesday facing a political scandal in his office and possible impeachment.
Republicans and his fellow Democrats called for Dann’s resignation after a May 2 internal attorney general investigation described the office as filled with cronyism, poor management and lacking proper oversight.
Dann refused to step down.
“He was struggling with the reality of the situation,” said Subodh Chandra, a Cleveland lawyer who lost the 2006 Democratic primary for attorney general to Dann.
Dann said he could move past the scandals in his office and be effective. But reality finally set in.
“My conduct has caused the creation of a firestorm of negative publicity that has reached a point where it is preventing the great professionals in the office from doing their important work,” Dann wrote in his resignation letter to Gov. Ted Strickland, who had demanded he quit or be impeached.
“The only way I can ensure that the great work in the office can continue is to take responsibility by resigning,” he added.
So what’s Dann going to do now that he’s no longer attorney general?
He’s going to work for his wife, Alyssa Lenhoff Dann, who sells Fiestaware on the Internet as a side job, said Mike Harshman, Dann’s attorney and a confidant.
Harshman said Dann told that to an attorney general office staffer as he left the office Wednesday. It was a light-hearted comment, but a truthful one, Harshman said.
There are false rumors that Dann is going to work for a Cleveland law firm, Harshman said.
Marc Dann finally resigns
Marc Dann Announces Resignation
COLUMBUS, Ohio — For nearly two weeks, Attorney General Marc Dann has been fighting calls for his resignation, stating that he wants to go back to work for the people of Ohio. On Wednesday, Dann succumbed to the immense pressure to resign, announcing he will step down from his position, effective immediately.
State officials began seeking Dann’s resignation after a scandal inside his office that resulted in the firing of two top aides amid a sexual harassment investigation.
The announcement was made during a news conference held by Dann and Gov. Ted Strickland late Wednesday afternoon.
Immediately after making his statement, Dann left the news conference without taking any questions.
Gov. Strickland said Dann, “did the honorable thing by resigning today. We are pleased that he has tendered his resignation.”
According to Strickland, First Assistant Attorney General Tom Winters will assume authority of Attorney General until Strickland appoints an interim Attorney General. He said he has not yet decided on a replacement.
When asked what he was looking for in the next attorney general, Strickland replied, “maturity.”
When asked about Lt. Governor Lee Fisher as a possible replacement, Strickland said he would consider Fisher for any important position.
Strickland said neither he nor his office made any sort of deal with Dann in exchange for his resignation.
A Noon news conference was originally scheduled on Wednesday, but the event was canceled and no announcement was made.
There was wide speculation on Tuesday that Dann would announce his resignation, but his office issued several statements, saying that Dann would continue to do his job.
House democrats filed nine articles of impeachment against Dann on Tuesday, outlining why he should be impeached, including gross neglect of duties and making misleading statements under oath.
Also on Tuesday, Gov. Strickland signed Senate Bill 3, which amended state law to allow the inspector general’s office to look into the attorney general’s office. Before the bill’s passing, the inspector general could only investigate state agencies and the governor’s office.
From the Wall Street Journal
What’s Going on With Marc Dann? Here’s What We Know
Law Blog readers following the Marc Dann mess have every right to be confused about the fate of Ohio’s AG based on conflicting information that’s emerged out of that great state today. LB colleague Aaron Lucchetti did some reporting and we have this to offer. Bottom line, no resignation right now.
First, the Attorney General’s office said in a statement Tuesday that Dann hasn’t resigned and no further announcements were planned. Earlier Tuesday, Dann met with Ohio’s lieutenant governor, reportedly to discuss his future and the possibility of resignation. One person briefed by an adviser to Dann said his resignation is imminent, but another said he wants to do it on his own terms.
Local news reports indicate he is looking to minimize future investigations into his office if he agrees to resign.
Dann’s been defiant to the end. This week, before the Articles of Impeachment from Democrats were made public Tuesday (see them here at the Columbus Dispatch site), one employee at the Attorney General’s office recalls Mr. Dann saying: “I’m not going to let them push me out.” Another staffer at the AG’s office says concern is building in the office that lawyers working for Mr. Dann could defect if he stays much longer.
More monkey business for Marc Dann
I know this is a longer than normal post however this only shows the liar Marc Dann, family and friends are.
Hey Honk Honk Bentley what do you think now? The words rat and liar seem about right.
Gutierrez firm did work for Dann’s in-laws
COLUMBUS — During a May 2 news conference, Attorney General Marc Dann claimed ignorance about whether his friend and neighbor, Anthony Gutierrez, was operating his private construction business on state time.
However, records found on Gutierrez’ state computer show MTV Construction, the company Gutierrez ran, did work for Dann’s in-laws who live around the corner from the attorney general’s home in the Youngstown area.
Internal investigators from Dann’s office found MTV Construction documents on Gutierrez’s computer, including a one-page invoice for a $7,241.57 job for Bentley Lenhoff, Dann’s father-in-law. Among the list of materials’ costs in the invoice is one for $900 with the notation “Floor from Tony.”
Gutierrez said that while MTV Construction did the Lenhoff job, it was his wife Lisa Gutierrez doing the work.
“I did no work at all (for MTV). My wife owns that company. She took it over in January 2007,” he said. Gutierrez said that in early 2007, his wife occasionally sent him MTV Construction documents to check over on his own time.
When asked at the press conference about the allegations that Gutierrez had been operating MTV on state time, Dann said, “I hope not. I had specific conversations with him and I told him personally that that was unacceptable. And I didn’t know whether he was doing it or not.”
Dann, Lenhoff and Gutierrez live in the same neighborhood in Liberty Twp. in Trumbull County. Lenhoff declined to comment.
Dann said that after Gutierrez was hired, “I had a stern conversation with him both about drinking and about his business, his former business, I understand. At least that’s my understanding. So to the extent that there’s any evidence to that, I hope it’s fully investigated.”
Dann ousted Gutierrez, Communications Director Leo Jennings III and Chief of Staff Edgar Simpson — all friends of his from the Youngstown area — after the release of a stunning internal report substantiating claims of sexual harassment and an effort to conceal the problems.
In the invoice from MTV Construction, total materials costs are $3,286.57 and labor charges are $3,955. Of the $7241,57 total bill, $3,500 had been paid, the invoice shows.
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