Montgomery says ‘no’ to AG position

By Marc Kovac

Montgomery said a well-prepared person is needed to run the AG’s office.

COLUMBUS — Betty Montgomery, the former Republican attorney general, says her mind is made up: She’s still not running to regain that job.

“I’m flattered by the request and love the office and the ability to really affect public policy and really help John Q [public], the regular people who have no other way of getting help,” she told reporters Tuesday after a luncheon here. “But I’m not going to be running for the attorney general’s office.”

Former Attorney General Marc Dann of Liberty resigned in May after sexual harassment complaints were filed against one of his top aides. Dann also admitted having an extramarital affair with his chief scheduler and was ill-prepared to handle the post’s responsibilities.

Ohioans will vote on a person to finish out Dann’s unexpired term in November.

Montgomery said, “My family’s growing up around me. I’ve given 12 years to statewide office. Now I want to give some time to [my family].”

Montgomery also called Dann an aberration and urged lawmakers and the electorate not to make wholesale changes to the structure of the attorney general’s office — rather, that voters and political parties fully examine their candidates before putting them on the ballot.

“[Dann] has suffered his consequences and is suffering his consequences,” she said. “Our challenge is: What have we learned from that?”

The former attorney general, whom Dann defeated in 2006, gave the keynote address during a luncheon sponsored by Americans for Prosperity, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization that focuses on fiscal and regulatory restraint. The theme of the session was, “The Future of Ohio’s Office of the Attorney General.”

Montgomery, who served as attorney general from 1995-2003, continues to be mentioned among possible Republican candidates for the office in the fall, despite her repeated statements to the contrary. Democrats already have endorsed state Treasurer Richard Cordray for the ticket; Republicans have not yet named their selection.

Montgomery said the scandal that led to Dann’s resignation shouldn’t serve as reason for large-scale changes to the office, however.

“Marc Dann really epitomizes, to some extent, sort of a caricature of the worst of what can happen when you don’t have someone who comes to the office prepared ... and with the understanding of the huge responsibility [associated with the office],” she said, adding, “You cannot just put someone up [for election] who is not qualified because they can get elected.”

She said the Democratic and Republican parties should make sure that their nominees for the attorney general’s office “are well-qualified for the job.”

mkovac@dixcom.com