Dann’s e-mails reveal frank opinions

The e-mails tend ‘to be a little less businesslike than some would want,’ Dann’s spokesman said.

By DAVID SKOLNICK

VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — Attorney General Marc Dann described an employee as “weird,” questioned if two others “have any feel for the human side” of the impact of predatory lending victims, and used expletives regarding his office’s computer system.

Dann, a Liberty Democrat, also has a “Google alert” system on his private Yahoo! account that e-mails him anytime his name is mentioned on a blog.

These are some of the tidbits culled from more than 60 e-mails sent to and from Dann’s private Yahoo! account, primarily to and from Ed Simpson, his chief of administration and policy.

In the e-mails, Dann and Simpson make biting comments about those who work in the attorney general’s office and dish out a few compliments, some of them back-handed, in typically informal style.

“I know from my e-mails to Marc and Ed that they are fairly conversational because we are friends who have a professional relationship,” said Leo Jennings, Dann’s spokesman. “It tends to be a little less businesslike than some would want, but it is what it is.”

Dann’s public records policy states private e-mail accounts used to conduct public business are subject to disclosure. His office honored a request by The Vindicator for the e-mails.

“He understands it’s a public record and has no problem turning them over,” Jennings said.

Dann will use his private e-mail account when he is home or traveling because it is easier to access from those locations, Jennings said. To get into the state e-mail system, Dann would have to call up a Web site and then sign in and type in his password before writing.

As for some of the content, Jennings said, “There are times when people are frustrated or amused. It’s reflected in the e-mails.”

Dann was obviously frustrated when Simpson sent him an e-mail that the attorney general’s office — when it was run by Jim Petro, a Republican — had paid $3.84 million to Hewlett-Packard over a three-year period for its computers.

“I’m most p----- that we still have s----- computers,” Dann wrote in response.

Dann was apparently amused when he forwarded a post to Simpson about the chief of administration and policy, from a blog run by a middle school teacher and former newspaper editor and publisher in Joplin, Mo. Dann received the blog post from his “Google alert” set-up.

Simpson quit his job as editor of The Joplin Globe to work for Dann. The blog post states if Simpson “was looking for a new job with plenty of challenges when he left Missouri ... he should be a happy man.”

Dann added: “It’s good to be loved” as a personal comment.

Dann and Simpson freely shared their opinions of employees in the attorney general’s office in the private account e-mails.

When Simpson asked Dann on April 10 about Jonathan Bowman, the crime victims’ section chief and a holdover from Petro’s administration, the attorney general simply wrote: “Bowman is weird.”

Simpson expressed his dismay at the conduct of Jeanne Johns, the office’s chief deputy of public protection, at a May event in Toledo.

“The only problem was Jeanne jumping off the reservation,” Simpson wrote to Dann. “It really is disconcerting to have a member of the senior staff complain in front of a bunch of union members about our time-keeping system. Jeez.”

Simpson sent Dann an e-mail on July 17 praising various employees.

“Sherry remains an absolute star,” he wrote about Sherry Maxfield, the office’s chief counsel. “If we had a couple more of her we could all retire.”

He also wrote that Marc Polster, the office’s chief of its information technology department, “is settling in. As usual people’s heads have to explode and then we put them back together.”

Simpson had asked Nadine Ballard, the office’s consumer protection section chief, on June 28 for “an anecdote or two from New Century about homeowners being saved by your court action.” It was for a “major address” for Dann.

Dann had fought to bar New Century Financial Corp. from operating in Ohio, accusing the company of being predatory lenders.

Ballard forwarded the request to Bob Hart, another AG employee. Hart e-mailed Simpson that he didn’t have any at this time. Simpson forwarded the e-mails to Dann, writing: “Wow ... I have never seen anything like this. Do you have insight on what’s going on?”

Dann responded: “These people don’t have any feel for the human side of this.”

Apparently Ballard redeemed herself in Simpson’s eyes because he sent an e-mail July 16 to Dann reading: “Nadine was great today. Who knew?”

The Dayton Daily News published an article last month detailing Dann’s public e-mails.

The most notable one was to Jennings about an editorial that ran in The Vindicator. Dann wrote that six “nasty” posts on Vindy.com were all about Jennings. “Jesus had it better on Good Friday,” Dann wrote to Jennings.

That quip had the Ohio Christian Alliance and the state GOP accusing Dann, who is Jewish, of religious bigotry.

skolnick@vindy.com