Ex-Attorney General Marc Dann opened a law office in Columbus

By Marc Kovac

and David Skolnick

news@vindy.com

COLUMBUS

Former Attorney General Marc Dann is making a return, of sorts, to Ohio’s capital city.

Dann, who resigned after a scandal that ended with criminal charges and his law license suspension, opened a Columbus office of his law firm Monday.

The ex-attorney general wrote in an email that the Columbus location on Polaris Parkway is easily accessible from his main office in Cleveland and opens the firm’s services to clients in the southern part of the state. Dann will work out of both locations.

The firm represents clients in 51 of the state’s 88 counties, according to Dann.

“We focus on representing consumers and small businesses in disputes with banks and other lenders,” he wrote in an email in response to questions from The Vindicator. “In some circumstances, we also do some bankruptcy work. We represent many homeowners and consumers in foreclosure throughout Ohio, including many in the Mahoning Valley. We also [file] claims under state and federal consumer law on behalf of consumers. Recently, we have been doing more work representing business with real estate and banking disputes.”

Earlier this year, he represented homeowners whose property was subjected to foreclosure actions by a bank that didn’t actually hold the mortgage at the time of the filing.

Dann resigned as attorney general in May 2008, just 16 months into his term, after two women working in the attorney general’s office made sexual harassment allegations against one of his hand-picked managers. Dann, a Democrat who used to live in Liberty and now lives in Lakewood, later admitted having an affair with a third woman from the office.

The situation and subsequent internal investigation led to the firing of that manager, another top aide and the forced resignation of his chief of staff. All three, Dann and his now ex-wife later were convicted on criminal counts.

Dann was convicted of two misdemeanors for filing a false disclosure form and providing improper compensation to state employees, was fined, barred from serving in public office for seven years and had his law license suspended for six months.