Father-in-law: Dann shouldn’t step down
By RON SELAK JR. Tribune Chronicle
POSTED: May 8, 2008
WARREN — Marc Dann isn’t going to roll over and give up being Ohio’s attorney general, and his family will be in his corner as he prepares to fight to keep his job, his father-in-law said.
Bentley Lenhoff spoke publicly this week saying Dann has made mistakes, but nothing that reaches to the level of impeachment.
‘‘Marc has made mistakes, poor terrible mistakes, poor judgment. He has committed adultery, absolutely, but he has not, and I repeat, not done anything comparable to an impeachable offense,’’ Lenhoff told talk show host Robert Mangino on 570 WKBN radio.
Lenhoff said Dann told the family about his affair several months ago — before sexual harassment allegations inside the attorney general’s office surfaced — and that his motivation for doing so was because he wanted to be honest about his actions.
‘‘He wanted to come clean, knew he had done wrong, he knew there were rumors out there,’’ Lenhoff said.
Lenhoff, reached twice by phone by the Tribune Chronicle on Wednesday, declined to comment about the situation.
Dann, 46, has been asked to resign his position in the wake of a sexual harassment investigation that resulted in two high-level staffers being fired, a third stepping down and him revealing that he had an affair. State Democrats and Republicans have told Dann to leave or face impeachment and are now looking into removing him from office.
Lenhoff said he realizes the difficulty of an impeachment proceeding on the family, but said it would be more difficult if Dann had something to hide.
‘‘Any impeachment proceeding can be nothing but a vindication of Marc Dann, I’m serious,’’ Lenhoff said. ‘‘It’s all out there right now. There’s nothing hidden and you know why Marc is staying, even risking impeachment. They’re works in progress, good works in progress, he doesn’t want to see them die, point one. Point two, he’s a fighter.’’
Lenhoff said if Dann resigns, the family and Dann have nothing but shame.
‘‘There is some vindication coming,’’ Lenhoff said.
He also denied claims that Dann is staying for a paycheck, saying Dann’s income has been cut in half since becoming a government servant.
‘‘As a lawyer he was rainmaker,’’ Lenhoff said. ‘‘As an elected public official, he’s got people working for him that make more money than he does.’’
rselak@tribune-chronicle.com
Member Comments
View Comments: | 1-23 | Post a comment
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Dschweck
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05-10-08 5:10 AM
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Maer924;What more do you need that is factual about the pathetic way this AG has allowed business to be conducted in his office,under his watch?This has nothing to do with"Looking like a Good Joe Citizen" under the friday night lights.This is about the future(if there is one)of the valley and the reputation of the state and its elected officials who partake in behavior that contidicts that oaths they took to uphold laws.Keep watching the scoreboard.The Dann team will not be the HOME team much longer.
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warrenman
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05-08-08 11:03 PM
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mark dann, be a man and please go away,amazing how this man is in such a position of authority and yet disobeys his superiors.. Perhaps with his attitude of being above the law it is well that he was busted in his infancy be for he really embarrased him self and the valley,be a man and give it up ......please go away
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Mark924
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05-08-08 10:39 PM
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I have been seated next to Mr. Lenhoff at a few football games. I have also for the last nine years; every football season, spent time around the Dannn and Gutierrez families, celebrated victories with them, worked the concession stand with them, and my children have played on the same field as their children. Do I consider them my friends? No, but I think I have gotten to know them all well enough to say that we still don't have all the facts. All of these events have surprised me! The behavior of these individuals during these gatherings was nothing but exemplary! They behaved like gentlemen. I will wait and see what happens before I form any conclusions on this. Quit attacking a senior citizen of whom you know NOTHING about!
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demsthefacts
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05-08-08 10:36 PM
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Look, let's say you are an editor for the Tribune Chronicle and have the authority to hire reporters. You decide this week to hire your neighbor and good friend as a reporter and provide him with a Tribune company car to drive for his new job. The problem is, five months ago you were called to the Canfield barracks of the Ohio Highway Patrol to pick up this same friend and neighbor after his arrest for drunk driving during which he blew a .149 BAC. Two questions ---1) would you hire this friend and neighbor and allow him to drive a Tribune Chronicle vehicle? and 2) if you did so and the Tribune ownership later found out that you had hired him with full knowledge of the recent drunk driving arrest, would they ask for your immediate resignation?
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VoiceOfReason
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05-08-08 8:32 PM
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Dann’s father-in-law has always beat his drum to his son-in-law’s music. His father-in-law is talking about the emotional and relationship points, but isn’t looking at the job performance, such as the BCI and probably other things that must be lurking in the background that will soon come out. I don’t think anybody would pursue impeachment on the relationship things, but rather job performance. The leadership and BCI issues are huge, and any other items that may be known that someone must have in their back pocket for impeachment pursuit. We shall soon see.
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Dschweck
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05-08-08 7:38 PM
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Hey Catgirl;You stoned or just challanged mentally?Even Big Daddy Dann is laughing at your insane take on this whole mess that he and his "Band of Merry Gypsies" created.
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MartyWhite
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05-08-08 6:44 PM
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I dont think my father-in-law would support anything I did if I cheated on my wife.
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goodsport
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05-08-08 1:09 PM
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Hey cat1245. You are a sick person. It's not about making a mistake. He knew what he was doing, he just got caught. That's not a mistake. If I had done the same thing my wife would have thrown me out the door. You must support what he did.
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thetruth
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05-08-08 11:10 AM
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cat1245 also asks "why cannot we back our own?" For me, that is easy. I cannot back the person who ran a campaign on a promise to run an office that was above reproach and then promptly broke that promise. I cannot back a person who has shown such immorality, who has hired friends rather than qualified individuals, who allowed friends to hire young girls in hopes of having sex with them, who has admitted he was not ready to be attorney general, who is now spending more taxpayer money for a "second transition" because he could not get the first one right. Those are just some of the reasons I can no longer support Marc Dann. I don't care where he is from, or whether he is "one of our own", I won't support incompetence.
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thetruth
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05-08-08 11:02 AM
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Hey cat1245, exactly what do you define as an impeachable offense? According to most constitutional law scholars, impeachable offenses is a very broad term which goes back to English law long before the United States was a country. It does not require a criminal act. It is more broad and covers an inability to perform the job or general poor performance. I think all that has been outlined in the report creates an impeachable offense.
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TheCortlandguy
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05-08-08 10:41 AM
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Cat...I was just born when Jane was pulling her stunt. Everyone makes mistakes but when you are in the offices like Dann is you need to conduct yourself with the weight of knowing you are representing the people of the State of Ohio and not partying like an idiot! Now he is jut digging his heels in and trying to make people get him out of office instead of being a man and honoring the fact that he has ruined his representation opportunity!
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cortlandmom
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05-08-08 10:31 AM
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OldManGrump, WELL SAID!!!!!!!!!!!!! Couldn't have said it better myself.
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OldManGrump2
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05-08-08 10:22 AM
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cat1245 - depends on which side of the Viet Nam War you were on. I was on the "Peace" side. To me, Jane Finda was a hero who stood up to Johnson who incorrectly claimed that North Vietnamese forces had twice attacked American destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin to ratchet up the war. Isn't it funny how Bush did the same thing to us in 2003 with his lies about WMDs in Iraq? Seems funny how Neo_Con consrvatives always bring up treason when someone doesn't agree with them. As for Marc Dann - he should resign and go away.
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cortlandmom
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05-08-08 10:10 AM
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Of course everyone has made mistakes. Alot of public officials have resigned, look at MYC Governor. They have resigned or gotten fired. Why should Dann be above the law. As for his local reputation, I have had friends who hired him and also fired him because he did not do his job. He should be held responsible for his actions and if it means Impeachment, then so be it. You cannot continue to do your job if your reputation is gone, as his is.
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cat1245
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05-08-08 10:09 AM
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Where were all these voices when Jane Fonda was in Hanoi??? When she was nominated for woman of the year last yr?? You want to trash someone-- here you go--Trash someone who deserves it. Her offense was TREASON. AG Marc Dann's offense-- trusting his friends to do the right thing (they did not) and being human.
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cat1245
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05-08-08 10:04 AM
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Hang in there Dann. It is obvious that most of these persons have never made a mistake, never used bad judgement. Dann never did anything that is an inpeachable offense!! Perhaps his only crime here is being a successful local lawyer who actually was elected to Ohio's AG. I agree with his family--if these proceeding happen, they will find he cannot be impeached under the guidelines for impeachment. Come on people!!Do you think the AG's office is the only one who has people who takes advantage of their position? There is not one office who can claim they have a perfect office and staff from the Gov. on down. For that matter--from our president on down! Why cannot we back our own. We elected him on his merits, are we the people, that wrong about our beliefs? About who we feel can do the job? I continue to back AG Dann. Continue to believe he can and will do a good job if given the opportunity. He has egg on his face but he can still do his job.
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cortlandmom
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05-08-08 9:56 AM
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If my son-in-law did that to my daughter, I don't think I could support him. Dolly627, he admitted he let this go on and even contributed to the atmosphere in the office. So did he harrass other employees. If he knew this was going on, he should have addressed it and not assume that it would go away. He is in a position that know he must defend his actions but it is a little to late. The damage has been done.
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adki
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05-08-08 9:53 AM
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Dirty Dann must resign and Sham on the Father n Law (Lenhoff) for even stating that Dann should stay after what he did to his Family.Some of Dirty Dann's shame must of rubbed off on the Father in Law.
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Dschweck
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05-08-08 7:51 AM
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And the beat goes on.......Why step down when you are going to get bounced out on your head?What a foolish ploy to,"defend the man that took a chance to infect youe daughter with some killing STD".I thought a fathers job was to protect and defend a daughter?Did Big Daddy Dann have the father-in-law down to Columbus for a little party?What a weasel,to defend the man that,"Disgraced his own daughter and grand children"!..Whos your Daddy now?
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goodsport
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05-08-08 7:42 AM
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Expect any different? Family always does support these creeps when they are caught. If it wasn't a family member they would be calling for his neck. Get a life. Impeach him.
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OldManGrump2
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05-08-08 7:24 AM
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Marc Daffy Dann is an embarr***ment to Ohio !!! Resign Marc Dann.
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Dolly627
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05-08-08 6:53 AM
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I don't think having an affair is cause for impeachment...having an imcompetent staff of "frat boys" living off taxpayers money, partying, drunk driving,harasing co-workers, and knowing about it, is what is impeachable. He wasn't doing his job. And this crap about reorganizing his office, blah, blah,..too little too late. He should have known better.. If it looks like a snake and acts like a snake, its a snake!
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TheCortlandguy
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05-08-08 6:41 AM
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Lenhoff said if Dann resigns, the family and Dann have nothing but shame. Shame is exactly what this pig deserves. Dann has once again tarnished the reputation of this area of the state like so many others before him. He needs to get out and live in the shame he has brought on himself! Now!
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