Mix-up over Dann causes a stir in southwest Ohio

Cincinnati Enquirer

CINCINNATI — Imagine the surprise of Warren County Democrats when they opened their e-mail from the county party Tuesday night and found that Marc Dann, the former Ohio attorney general forced to resign last year, would be a featured speaker at their annual party dinner.

As it turns out, he won’t be.

The e-mail — along with the invite to Dann — was the product of an unnamed young party volunteer “with a very short memory,” according to Warren County Democratic Party Chairman Bob Turner.

“Marc Dann is not going to be at our dinner,” Turner said.

Turner said he is not sure what happened, but he believes the party volunteer — whom he described as “very enthusiastic but somewhat naive about politics” — issued an invitation to Dann, who was booted out of the Ohio Democratic Party last spring, shortly before he resigned in the midst of a sexual harassment and campaign spending scandal.

In June, the Ohio Elections Commission accepted a deal worked out by Dann’s lawyers and the Ohio inspector general in which Dann and his campaign committee paid a $1,000 fine. There were no criminal charges.

Turner said he does not know whether Dann accepted the invitation. Dann could not be reached to comment.

The e-mail that went out to Warren County Democrats described Dann as “a prominent attorney and Democratic Party candidate many times elected to public office including attorney general of Ohio.”

Turner said he began getting e-mails from outraged Democrats last night about the Dann e-mail. He said he is trying to reach the young party volunteer “so we can get this straightened out.”