Campaign spending by Dann ‘defies logic,’ inspector general says

COLUMBUS (AP) — Former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann used his campaign account to bankroll home repairs and family vacations, according to a newspaper review of state investigative reports.

The reports are part of a complaint filed last week with the Ohio Elections Commission by state Inspector General Tom Charles. Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner also filed an elections commission complaint against Dann last week alleging misuse of campaign funds.

The Ohio Elections Commission will address both complaints Jan. 22. And state Auditor Mary Taylor plans Monday to release her own investigation into Dann’s spending.

Dann resigned in May amid a sexual harassment scandal in his office that included his admission that he had an affair with an employee.

Dann told The Associated Press on Saturday that he planned to prove to the elections commission that his expenditures were legal.

“The allegations that have been made in these complaints are either false or they lack a basis in law,” Dann said. “We operated the campaign committee lawfully, and all the expenditures were made with the advice of counsel and were appropriate.”

Charles’ complaint accuses Dann of reporting incomplete, inaccurate and false information about campaign expenditures. Charles used expressions such as “absolutely incredible” and “defies logic” in describing the allegedly improper campaign spending, according to a review of more than 1,000 pages of reports by The Columbus Dispatch.

Read more in Sunday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com