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In waning days, Dann spent over $120,000 from his campaign fund
The former attorney general paid political consultants and lawyers.
Friday, August 01, 2008
COLUMBUS — In his last few weeks as attorney general and even after he resigned under pressure, Democrat Marc Dann spent more than $120,000 out of his campaign fund on lawyers, political consultants and new Apple computers, according to the latest campaign finance report filed this week.
Dann used the campaign fund to pay $13,680 to an Austin, Texas-based political consultant hired in April to strike back at Dann's critics. Dann for Ohio paid $3,100 to The Campaign Group, political consultants in Philadelphia.
The day he resigned, May 14, the campaign shelled out $50,000 in legal fees to M&R Land Co., which is an aviation company owned by Dann's friend Mike Harshman, who is a pilot and an attorney.
Two days later, Dann for Ohio paid a $10,000 retainer to Neal & Harwell, a civil and criminal defense law firm in Nashville, Tenn.
Dann said via e-mail that the expenditures are allowed under Ohio law.
According to his mid-year campaign finance report, Dann spent $233,567 out of the account since Jan. 1 — $120,325 of that since May 1.
The secretary of state is still auditing Dann for Ohio's 2007 campaign finance report.
On May 2, Dann admitted to an affair with a junior staffer, said he wasn't prepared to be attorney general, and acknowledged that his behavior may have sent the wrong message about how his managers could treat subordinates. He fired two friends he had hired into top slots and two others resigned. His administration is now the subject of investigations by the state inspector general, state auditor, highway patrol, Ohio Ethics Commission and others.
