Montgomery and Dann spar over BWC scandal

Dann voted for the appointment of a now-convicted official.
THE VINDICATOR
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Ohio Republican Party chairman is calling state Sen. Marc Dann, Democratic attorney general candidate, a hypocrite for criticizing the appointment of a Columbus man at the center of the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation scandal to a state investment fund board.
In recent weeks, Dann, of Liberty, has criticized state Republican officials, including Auditor Betty Montgomery, the Republican nominee for attorney general, as well as Gov. Bob Taft and Attorney General Jim Petro, over the 2004 appointment of Terrence Gasper to the Ohio Venture Capital Authority board.
Gasper served as the BWC's chief financial officer and recently pleaded guilty to felony corruption charges related to his work at the bureau.
Dann said last week there had to be discussions within the Taft administration about appointing Gasper to the authority board, and the public has a right to know the substance of those conversations.
Public records show Dann served on the Ohio Senate Ways and Means and Economic Development Committee, which reviewed and recommended Gasper's appointment to the authority board. He also voted to confirm Gasper when the appointment was in front of the state Senate.
"The hypocrisy of this guy just never ends," Ohio Republican Chairman Bob Bennett said. "Once again, he's managed to stumble over his own record just to get his name in the paper. Marc Dann either wasn't doing his job, or he wasn't paying attention."
Who knew what, when?
Dann said he didn't learn about Gasper's illegal activities until April 2005 when they were exposed by The Blade of Toledo, but Taft, Montgomery and others knew about the criminal acts before then.
Taft, Montgomery and Petro repeatedly have said they had no knowledge of Gasper's criminal activities or the BWC investment scandal until the newspaper reports.
Dann said Taft should have done an extensive background check on Gasper before asking the Senate to appoint him to the board position.
Regarding Gasper, Taft said last week that there were no financial problems at the authority board, which oversees a state investment fund, while Gasper served on it.
Dann also pointed the finger at Montgomery, saying she had a BWC audit in her possession in September 2004 that showed money was missing from the bureau.
"Marc Dann lives in a glass house, and he's throwing rocks," said Mark Weaver, her campaign adviser. "He blames the Gasper appointment on Betty Montgomery when he recommended it. Betty Montgomery found out about the problems with the BWC the same time everyone else did."
An audit of the bureau was conducted, but it was handled by an outside agency and not the state auditor's office, Weaver said.
"Mr. Dann needs a dose of reality therapy," he said.
skolnick@vindy.com