COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A second top Ohio official has filed a complaint with the Ohio Elections Commission claiming former Attorney General Marc Dann misspent campaign funds.
The complaint filed this week by Ohio Inspector General Thomas Charles accuses Dann of filing incomplete, inaccurate and false information about campaign expenditures.
A separate complaint filed with the commission Thursday by Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner accuses Dann of misspending about $45,000 in campaign funds on security improvements at his home and charges for cellular phones used for campaign activity and personal use by Dann and his family.
In an e-mail Friday, Dann indicated that allegations in both complaints were false and the rest had no basis in law.
"We are going to vigorously litigate this issue and win," Dann said Thursday.
Charles' complaint alleges improper campaign spending that included air travel and lodging for Dann's family, cell phones and other expenditures. The inspector general said his investigation centered on the time from Jan. 7, 2007, when Dann took office as attorney general, until Dann's resignation on May 14, 2008.
Dann resigned amid a sexual harassment scandal in his office. He won election in 2006, part of the Democratic party's near-sweep of statewide offices long held by Republicans.
Charles's complaint also says Dann used campaign funds to purchase snacks, beverages and fast food almost daily.
The complaint also alleges that expenditures listed as payments for consulting services were used for other purposes, including paying a staffer to keep campaign account books.
Officials with the Ohio Elections Commission have said the commission will address both complaints in a session on Jan. 22. All parties will be notified and given the opportunity to file responses, said the commission's executive director Philip Richter.
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