Dann administrator to resign
The top deputy is leaving for more money.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN — A Campbell native who served as one of Attorney General Marc Dann’s top administrators is resigning, effective Jan. 9, to return to his old job.
As deputy first assistant attorney general, Brian Laliberte is responsible for advising Dann on legal and policy issues, handling high-profile cases including the defense of capital punishment, and assisting Tom Winters, the first assistant attorney general, in overseeing the office’s legal department.
Finding a replacement for Laliberte is a top priority for the office, and the job will be filled as soon as possible, said Jim Gravelle, a Dann spokesman.
In his resignation letter, Laliberte wrote that he and his wife are expecting a second child, which will increase their expenses, both present and future, and he is returning to his old job because it pays more money.
Laliberte’s annual salary at the attorney general’s office was $125,000.
Laliberte, 33, left his job a year ago as an associate with the Columbus law firm of Baker and Hostetler to work for Dann, a friend for 15 years.
In a statement, Dann said Laliberte has fulfilled his commitment of service to the attorney general’s office and to the people of Ohio.
“I knew this day would come and I am not surprised to see a talented attorney return to private practice,” said Dann, a Liberty Democrat.
After Dann fired former Youngstown police Sgt. Rick Alli as his chief of law enforcement operations in April, Laliberte assumed those responsibilities including serving as a liaison between the attorney general’s office and police agencies and overseeing law enforcement functions performed by the office.
Laliberte was in the news in July when he received a $3,700 home security system at state expense after receiving a telephone threat at work. As he hung up the phone, Laliberte said he thought he heard the caller say, “You’re dead.”
The Ohio State Highway Patrol investigated the incident, but closed it as unfounded.
In his resignation letter, Laliberte praised Dann’s “leadership, energy and vision” which has “reinvigorated this office, and will have a significant and lasting impact.”
skolnick@vindy.com