Salem official resigns, report says he leaked confidential document in campaign

SALEM — Greg Oesch, the city’s deputy director of safety and service, resigned at noon today after a report indicated he leaked a confidential police document to attack a political candidate.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation was asked to look into how a police report became campaign fodder in 2008 against Caroline Hergenrother, then of Salem, who was running as a Republican for the Ohio House 1st District seat against Democrat Linda Bolon. Hergenrother lost.

Hergenrother was a victim in an alleged altercation outside a city bar that year. The report did not mention Hergenrother’s name since no charges were filed. An internal police document did mention her name, however.

BCI investigation determined that Oesch had instructed a Salem patrolman to get him a copy of the report.

For the complete story, see Friday's Vindicator and Vindy.com