GOP chairman seeks source of leak

By D.A. Wilkinson | October 2, 2008 at 12:09a.m.

Dave Johnson

A spokesperson for the House Democratic Caucus blamed the Republicans for a smear against a Republican candidate.

LISBON — “It was a hatchet job.”

That’s what Columbiana County Republican Party Chairman David Johnson said Wednesday about a leak of Salem police records that cast a shadow on a candidate.

Johnson has filed a public records request with the Ohio Bureau of Identification and Investigation to determine the source of the leak.

But Jennifer Brindisi, a BCI spokesperson, said BCI is in the process of determining whether it can get involved. She said the agency is barred from conducting civil or administrative reviews of other agencies. If there are no criminal issues involved, local officials will have to handle the case.

A spokesperson for the House Democratic Caucus, meanwhile, blamed the Republicans for a smear against a Republican candidate.

Republican Caroline Hergenrother of Salem is running for the 1st House District seat against incumbent Democratic state Rep. Linda Bolon of East Palestine.

Hergenrother and her husband, Kurt, were involved in an incident with several people at Stooges Tavern at about 12:55 a.m. Sept. 21. There was an altercation between the other people and the Hergenrothers as the couple left. Police are still investigating.

But information in the investigation was leaked to an area newspaper. Police Chief Robert Floor said the city would bring in BCI to determine the leak.

Johnson said in his request to the state agency that much of that story “was based upon internet blog reports from the Ohio Democratic Caucus and other unsigned bloggers who, in turn, had based their blog entries upon information that may have been illegally transmitted to them by sources inside the Salem Police Department or inside Salem City Hall who may have ties to the Linda Bolon campaign.”

But Johnson said of the information that was leaked, “It was inaccurate, incomplete and unsubstantiated.”

Johnson said that depending on the findings of a probe, the party may seek “redress.” He did not elaborate.

Johnson is asking for records from Salem police, Salem safety director Gregory Oesch, the Ohio Democratic Caucus and Bolon. Osech is a Democrat who helped Republican Mayor Jerry Wolford get elected.

Bolon has not responded to calls seeking her comment.

Scarlette Bouder, communications director for the House Democratic Caucus races, said she has not seen the leaked information. But she said the leak was the doing of the Republican Party.

“If the Republicans want to drag up some trash, that’s their priority,” she said.

She said Bolon was focusing on door-to-door campaigning.

wilkinson@vindy.com