Details Emerge About Accusations Against Dann

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Details continue to emerge about accusations against former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann.

A report released Monday claims that Dann used and abused a non-profit account intended to pay for transition expenses, NBC 4‘s Patrick Preston reported.

Inspector General Tom Charles’ office needed a subpoena to obtain financial records for the Dann OAG Transition Corporation, set up as a non-profit to collect inauguration party donations and the findings led Charles to conclude, “Transitions accounts: there is no reporting. There is no oversight.“

Just before Dann took office in January 2007, Dann’s transition account had accumulated more than $20,000 in donations.

But the contributions continued to pour in until Dann had received more than $195,000 from 60 different businesses and individuals.

Seventeen political action committees, the majority located out of state, donated a total of $74,000.

“I do think that we need to look real serious at campaign finance and transition accounts and how somebody in a powerful position can raise that kind of money and spend it,“ Charles said.

But Republican and Democratic officeholders are defending the transition accounts, while advocating transparency and openness.

“Like any other instrument, they can be abused. Apparently, they were in that instance. That doesn’t make the process itself invalid,“ said Treasurer Richard Cordray.

“We made available, or would make available, if asked, the contributions made to the transition account that we had, for example. And that money was used solely for one purpose and that was for the inauguration and the inaugural party we had,“ said Auditor Mary Taylor.

Charles said a solution is to have the transition accounts expire shortly after inauguration.

Charles said the Secretary of State’s office should oversee the accounts, as they do with campaign funds. NBC 4 placed several phone calls to legislators to see if they intend to take up the matter when they return from winter break, but didn’t receive a response.

Stay with NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com for additional information.
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