Preston on Politics: On The Campaign Trail

Monday, May 05, 2008

AG’s Office Scandal: Stankoski and Stout Speak Out

I sat down to speak with Cindy Stankoski and Vanessa Stout today. You can find the story on the nbc4i.com website. Here is a sampling of their comments:

On receiving an apology:

“WE NEVER GOT A DIRECT APOLOGY FROM ANYBODY...I THINK DIRECTLY THAT WE WOULD NEED THE APOLOGY.”
- VANESSA STOUT

On Marc Dann saying his emotional pain is sufficient punishment:

“HE JUST THINKS THAT EVERYBODY SHOULD BE HAPPY WITH HIM JUST GOING FORWARD AND GIVING THE TRUTH ABOUT HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HER AND I THINK THAT’S COMPLETELY WRONG.”
- VANESSA STOUT

On being invited back to the Attorney General’s townhome for pizza:

“I FELT DEFINITELY TRAPPED...I EVEN TOLD TONY, THAT’S WEIRD AND HE WAS LIKE DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT, YOU’RE WITH THE BIG DOGS.”
- CINDY STANKOSKI

“I DON’T KNOW WHAT KIND OF CRIME YOU’D CALL IT BUT HE DEFINITELY TOOK FULL ADVANTAGE OF ME, HE USED THE POWER THAT WAS HANDED TO HIM, HE VIOLATED ME.”
- CINDY STANKOSKI

See more of the women’s comments by clicking on ‘Read More’

Dann Responds to Employees

All—

Last night, I received a call from Governor Strickland advising me that he and the other statewide Democratic office holders along with the minority leaders of the House and Senate were planning to ask me to resign today.

That letter has been sent.

I wanted to share with you what I told the Governor…

Governor Strickland, Leading Democrats Tell Dann It’s Time to Resign

Governor Ted Strickland and other leading Democrats released a letter just minutes ago urging Attorney General Marc Dann to resign.

Here is the text of the letter:

We write to you tonight to ask that you resign your position as Attorney General of the State of Ohio. 

We believe that your actions have irreparably harmed your ability to effectively serve the people of our great state…

Five More Months of Marc Dann?

Marc Dann said on Friday that he had not even considered resignation, but he probably is aware that if he resigns before September 25th, 2008, the AG position will be put on the November ballot, and the Democratic nominee will have to run a campaign against a Republican candidate with Dann’s foibles still fresh on the minds of voters. Mark Niquette of The Columbus Dispatch reports that if Dann holds on to his office until late September, Governor Ted Strickland can appoint a fellow Democrat who would then be able to finish out Dann’s term though 2010.

From a strategic standpoint, that time gap could make all the difference in the world for the Democrats. Coingate is no longer the issue it was in 2006. Come Fall 2010, the problems inside the AG’s office will still be memorable, but a Dann replacement could use that time to make a case that the office has turned the page. Of course, that requires two things: First, either by choice or by procedure, Dann would have to give up his title. Secondly, Dann would have to stay on until September 25th.

Given the calls for him to resign from Republicans, from Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy, and from various newspaper editorial boards, Dann will have to endure 20 weeks of public booing. He may try to negotiate for a job to fall into once he leaves office. And if he agrees, behind the scenes, to depart on September 25th, the Democrats may be able to find a supporter willing to hire Dann and guarantee a six-figure salary comparable to his current pay. The Republicans have said they will make Dann an issue for the 2008 general election. The question is: Can the Democrats deal with Dann in office until September?

Would Marc Dann Hire Marc Dann?

Marc Dann’s decision to stay on as Attorney General has created a firestorm inside and outside of his office. One has to wonder whether Marc Dann would hire Marc Dann? If so, you can imagine the pool of job applicants becoming increasingly more “interesting.” To those who are mistake-prone and have overseen a hostile workplace, the AG’s office may be interested in talking with you about a leadership role. And if Dann would not hire Dann, it begs the question, how can Dann continue to be the state’s top law enforcement officer?

On that note, here are excerpts from an email I received from an employee inside the AG’s office.

“I feel the need to tell you about morale in the office.  As you can imagine, it’s a pretty rough time...I can tell you that I’ve never seen the morale in our office so low...”