Campaign reports: Dann spent $230,000 through June

YOUNGSTOWN — While contributions to ex-Attorney General Marc Dann’s campaign committee completely dried up when a scandal hit his office, that didn’t stop him from spending campaign funds — even after his resignation.

Dann’s campaign raised $42,351.66 since Jan. 1 with the last contribution of $250 from Scott Harris, managing partner of a Washington, D.C., law firm, received March 27. That’s four days before two female staffers filed sexual-harassment complaints against a Dann-appointed supervisor and friend that eventually led to Dann’s May 14 resignation.

During the first six months of the year, Dann’s committee spent $233,567.50, according to campaign finance reports filed by today’s deadline with the Ohio secretary of state.

Dann’s committee also had $303,702.16 on hand as of June 30. When asked what he planned to do with that money, Dann replied “undetermined” in an e-mail today.

Among Dann’s more curious expenses was a $4,641.44 purchase of computers from the Apple Store in Columbus on May 13. That was the day before Dann resigned as attorney general.

“I need(ed) them to set up an office,” Dann wrote in an e-mail about the computers. “I did not anticipate resigning when the computers were purchased. Since, I and others have used them to respond to press inquiries and do work related to holding office or the campaign.”

Dann did not mention that he was negotiating his resignation through intermediaries on May 13, the day he bought the computers.

For the complete story, read Friday’s Vindicator or vindy.com