Dann risks alienating friends in the press

When Democrat Marc Dann was a state senator, he endeared himself to reporters with his commitment to full disclosure of all things government. Dann became the champion of the public's right to know every detail about "coingate," the investment scam involving the Ohio Bureau of Worker's Compensation and a Republican Party mover-and-shaker.
The lawyer from Liberty Township was rewarded by the press with front-page stories about his efforts to blow the lid off the 50 million investment the BWC made with Thomas Noe, a rare coin dealer from Toledo. And, Dann parlayed that publicity into a win in the Democratic primary for attorney general and a subsequent victory in November general election over popular Republican statewide officeholder Betty Montgomery.
But barely two months after becoming the first Trumbull County resident in decades to be elected to statewide office, Dann seems have forgotten who brought him to the dance -- the press.
How? Just look at his appointments of individuals to key positions whose roles can be best described in one word: Spin.
The king of Dann's spinning circle is Leo Jennings, who sends out officious correspondence signed "Director of Communications." Jennings is not a professional journalist. Rather, he is a former union official who became involved in politics by handling some local races, most prominently that of former Mahoning County Commissioner Vickie Sherlock. He also was associated with a public relations firm in Cleveland, did assignments for the Ohio Democratic Party and then hooked up with Dann.
Jennings is the ultimate spinner. That's what he's paid to do.
Paid consultant
Recently, Dann said that his former campaign operative would not be on the attorney general's payroll and, instead, would become a paid consultant for the state Democratic Party.
But, Jennings is still making statements on behalf of the attorney general-elect. Dann will be sworn in Monday.
The new attorney general needs to disassociate himself from Jennings. It's only a matter of time before the statewide reporters who were so enamored with Dann begin asking the question, "Who's Leo Jennings?"
But it isn't just the director of communications who prompts questions about Dann's continued commitment to open government.
His hiring of Youngstown police Sgt. Rick Alli to the newly created and vitally important post of chief of law enforcement operations also suggests a desire to manage the news. After all, that's what Alli's role has been -- a mouthpiece for Youngstown Police Chief Jimmy Hughes. Apart the fact that having a police department spokesman is a waste of money and manpower, Alli has shown himself to be able to spin with the best of them.
Take, for instance, his public statements in reaction to a nationwide ranking that placed Youngstown as the ninth most dangerous of all cities evaluated by Morgan Quinto Press. It was the third most dangerous of 126 cities of similar size.
& quot;We have looked at the list compiled by Morgan Quinto; however, we are not sure how they have arrived at their conclusions. Being well aware that our data is not favorable, we have instituted several different approaches in how we do policing to improve our statistics. As for their naming our city as dangerous, we do feel that this is not an accurate portrayal, & quot; Alli said.
FBI statistics
Did Alli not know that the conclusions were gleaned from an analysis of crime numbers of murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and motor vehicle theft compiled by the FBI? Of course he did.
Yet, he attempted to spin the ugly truth about the city of Youngstown.
Fortunately, the public didn't buy that verbal shuffle.
A third spinner on Dann's team comes in the shape of a long-time friend who will serve as chief of staff. Although Ed Simpson is a journalist by profession -- he is a former editor of the Warren Tribune Chronicle during the time Dann's wife, Alyssa Lenhoff, was a reporter -- objectivity, full disclosure and the public's right to know will no longer be his guiding principles.
Simpson's job will be to protect his boss.
Is it fair to expect Dann to hire individuals who would put the public's right to know before the interests of the attorney general's office? Yes, it is -- because he established that very standard when he went after the Republicans with guns blazing.