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Dann faces disciplinary charges
YOUNGSTOWN
The Ohio Supreme Court’s disciplinary counsel has found “substantial credible evidence of misconduct” by former Attorney General Marc Dann, who faces disciplinary charges as they relate to his law license.
Dann, who operates a private law practice in Cleveland, couldn’t be reached Tuesday by The Vindicator. But he said May 7, 2010, the day of his conviction on two ethics counts, that he hoped to retain his law license.
“I need to make a living,” he said at the time.
Because of the disciplinary charges, Dann could be fined, have his law license suspended, be disbarred or face no discipline.
The seven-page complaint by Jonathan E. Coughlan, the court’s disciplinary counsel, largely recaps Dann’s two ethics convictions. Dann, a Democrat from Liberty, had voluntarily informed Coughlan of the two convictions.
The complaint was made public Monday, even though Coughlan’s decision is dated Feb. 2.
Dann has 20 days to respond to the complaint from the time he receives it, said Bret Crow, a Supreme Court spokesman.
The matter then goes to a three-member panel of the court’s board of commissioners on grievances and discipline. A recommendation from the panel goes to the full board, and then finally to the Supreme Court for a final decision.
The three-member panel and the full board have the option of dismissing the complaint before it goes to the court.
The panel will have a hearing within 150 days, Crow said.
Dann pleaded guilty last May in Franklin County Municipal Court to filing a false financial-disclosure statement. He entered an “Alford plea” to providing improper compensation to state employees. The plea means Dann admits there was sufficient evidence to convict him but denies he committed a crime.
He was fined $1,000 and ordered to complete 500 hours of community service.
The counts were related to money paid to two of his former top administrators in the attorney general’s office — Leo Jennings III, his communications director and political adviser, and Anthony Gutierrez, his general-services director — from his campaign and transition accounts.
That included more than $24,000 used to pay rent for an apartment in Columbus and a condominium they shared in Dublin.
Also, Dann filed false financial-disclosure statements.
Dann, an attorney for more than 23 years, resigned May 14, 2008, under pressure after being accused of running an unprofessional office filled with cronyism and inappropriate sexual behavior. Dann served as attorney general for less than 17 months.