Caucus fundraiser postponed because of schedule conflict

By David Skolnick

NILES — An Ohio House Democratic Caucus fundraiser with special guest Attorney General Marc Dann, planned for Friday, is being postponed.

The event isn’t happening because it conflicts with another caucus fundraiser set for same day, a golf outing in Columbus, said state Reps. Sandra Stabile Harwood of Niles, D-65th, and Thomas Letson of Warren, D-64th. The two were co-sponsoring the local $100-a-ticket fundraiser.

House Minority Leader Joyce Beatty of Columbus, D-27th, asked for the postponement. Beatty wanted to attend the event that was scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday at Vernon’s Cafe in Niles, Letson and Harwood said.

The golf event won’t end until about 3 p.m., so Beatty and other legislators wouldn’t be able to make it to Niles in time for the start of the fundraiser, Letson said.

“I would be late to my own event,” he said.

The event will be rescheduled for sometime this summer, Letson said.

The problem was a scheduling mix-up, Letson and Harwood said, and had nothing to do with a well-publicized sexual harassment investigation at the attorney general’s office.

The investigation’s findings have a tentative release date of Friday.

The invitation to the event, the day after Law Day, was designed to look like a subpoena and asked those coming to bring “stories about special guest, Attorney General Marc Dann.”

E-mails were sent to those who were invited letting them know the event is postponed, Letson said, who added that telephone calls are also being made.

Letson, Harwood and Dann are all attorneys.

skolnick@vindy.com