Ohio AG to Resign Over 'Dannimal House' Scandal?
Despite media reports that Ohio’s embattled attorney general, Marc Dann, was expected to announce his resignation today, the latest news is that he is holding on to his office, at least for now.
Dann, 46, had stood his ground so far, as state legislators threatened to seek his impeachment. But an internal investigation of claimed sexual harassment by another official within his administration appeared to have tipped the scale toward resignation, the Plain Dealer reported earlier this afternoon in an article headlined “Dann to step down.”
Now, however, the Cleveland newspaper reports, in a blog post headlined “Dann holds on,” the attorney general is saying “At this point, that’s not what I’m going to do.” It is not clear whether Dann means he isn’t resigning, period, or isn’t resigning right now.
Several others in Dann’s administration have already been forced out.
Nine articles of impeachment prepared by legislators “included accusations that Dann obstructed the internal investigation, gave misleading statements, committed acts of gross neglect of duty and committed acts of gross immorality,” the Plain Dealer reports. It notes that Dann himself, who was not accused of sexual harassment, admittedly had an extramarital affair that came out during the hoopla over the sexual harassment claims and alleged obstruction of the investigation.
As discussed in an earlier ABAJournal.com post, Dann is accused by some of having run his office in a manner reminiscent of the over-the-top fraternity-house antics which the Animal House movie starting John Belushi infamously portrayed. Hence, the scandal is known, in some circles, as “Dannimal House.”
Additional coverage:
WKYC (NBC News): “Sources: Dann negotiating his exit as resignation is imminent?”
The Columbus Dispatch: “House Dems seek Dann’s impeachment”
