(Columbus) – Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Bennett agreed today with Democrat State Sen. Marc Dann’s admission that he is in no position to question the Ohio Supreme Court about legal ethics.
“Who am I to tell the Supreme Court about legal ethics?” Dann asked after demands from his fellow Democrats that several Supreme Court justices recuse themselves from Dann’s politically-motivated public records lawsuit. (Steve Eder and James Drew, "5 justices are urged to skip Taft records case," Toledo Blade, 7/19/05)
“I’m glad Sen. Dann admits his own hypocrisy on this issue,” Bennett said. “Here’s a guy who’s been running around for weeks lecturing Republicans about ethics in state government, and his own ethical misconduct is finally catching up with him.”
Dann, a trial lawyer known for filing frivolous lawsuits, has been publicly reprimanded by the state’s highest court for misconduct as an attorney.
“The Ohio Supreme Court unanimously issued a public reprimand Wednesday to state Sen. Marc Dann, a Youngstown Democrat, for failing as a lawyer to prepare properly for a legal matter.” (T.C. Brown, “Court reprimands senator,” [Cleveland] Plain Dealer, 3/4/04)
According to the Ashtabula Star Beacon, “The Mahoning County Bar Association filed the complaint against Dann, D-Liberty Township… The Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline and the involved parties jointly recommended a public reprimand.” (Chris Foreman, “Supreme Court censures Dann,” Ashtabula Star Beacon, 3/5/04)
“Sen. Dann’s own ethical lapses are a prime example of the hypocrisy coming from Ohio Democrats lately,” said Bennett. “Republicans continue to lead, while Democrats stand on the sidelines and politicize the issues. Any Democrat donkey can kick down a barn, but it takes a Republican carpenter to build one.”
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