DaytonDailyNews.com

COLUMBUS — Marc Dann, Leo Jennings III and Anthony Gutierrez are such close friends from the Youngstown area that when Dann became attorney general, the three shared an apartment in suburban Columbus, paid for in part with Dann's campaign fund money.

Now the trio is embroiled in a sexual harassment scandal that has implications for each of them.

Gutierrez is the accused. Dann is a potential witness. And Jennings is the public face of the investigation, handling all media calls.

Two 26-year-old employees complained that Gutierrez, 50, made unwelcome sexual advances, comments and touching. Some of the harassment allegedly happened Sept. 10 in the shared apartment, in Dann's presence. It's unclear whether Jennings was at the apartment that night, too. He refuses to say.

Another potential witness, Jessica Utovich, Dann's former scheduler, was at the apartment wearing pajamas, according to the employees' complaint. Utovich, 28, has declined to comment and Jennings has refused to discuss whether she was there or why she would be in pajamas.

Jennings also refused to say whether the attorney general's office has copies of text messages sent from one of the women's cell phones. "I can't answer that because it's part of the investigation," Jennings said.

The employee, Cindy Stankoski, said: "FYI. The text messages I am referring to is a big part of the investigation," according to an e-mail she sent to Dann's Equal Employment Opportunity officer. Jennings also declined to say whether Gutierrez and Stankoski arrived at the apartment in a state-owned vehicle after visiting bars. Gutierrez, who was placed on paid administrative leave Monday, did not have a private vehicle in Columbus, Jennings confirmed.

On Tuesday, Dann sent a letter to Executive Assistant Attorney General Ben Espy, encouraging him to do a thorough investigation of sexual harassment complaints. "I am recusing myself from this investigation and your report should be directed to the First Assistant Attorney General (Tom Winters,)" Dann wrote.

Both Winters and Espy serve at the pleasure of Dann.

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