Dann says he was arrogant ‘jerk’
Ex-Liberty resident described life after resigning as attorney general
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Staff, wire report
COLUMBUS -- The Democrat who was forced to resign as Ohio's attorney general amid a scandal in 2008 says he was an arrogant "jerk" in that job, but has come a long way.
Marc Dann, formerly of Liberty, said it's unlikely he'll run for office again, though he won't rule it out.
He resigned in May 2008 just 17 months into his term amid a sexual harassment scandal during which Dann admitted having an affair with a staffer.
Dann, who spent time on the school board at Liberty Local Schools, went on to win election as a state senator before ousting Republican Attorney General Betty Montgomery, said he was numb for months after resigning on May 14, 2008, and being stripped of his law license by the Ohio Supreme Court.
"There wasn't a lot of things on the table for me in 2008. I had a lot of time to think," he said.
Dann eventually regained his suspended license. He now represents people with foreclosure and bankruptcy problems.
Despite saying he won't rule out running, Dann might not be able to run again regardless. Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Kirstin Alvanitakis said the party has instituted a new vetting process for statewide candidates.
"It's hard to see how someone whose last public act was resigning from state office in those circumstances could undergo that process," she said.
Two years after his resignation, Dann pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor ethics violations involving campaign and transition funds, which was the result of an investigation done by the Ohio Ethics Commission.
The first charge involved campaign funds Dann gave to two of his top aides to pay rent and utilities for a house they shared near downtown Columbus and a condominium they later moved into in the city's northwest suburbs. The charge also involved a $5,000 gift or loan Dann made from his elected office's transition account to one of those aides.
The second charge alleged that Dann knowingly filed a false financial disclosure form.
To one of the charges he entered an Alford plea, acknowledging evidence existed to prove his guilt but denying a crime was committed in the lodging budgets of his aides.
Dann, 55, acknowledges his mistakes and said he can't blame anyone but himself. Discussing his work now and his family, Dann said he doesn't want to screw up the good things in his life.
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