Marc Dann and the Slush Problem

Marc Dann once made a charge of 35 cents at McDonald’s to his campaign account, according to the report of Inspector General Tom Charles, released today. The pettiness of that transaction speaks volumes about the character and administration of Ohio’s former attorney general.

Not to say that much larger, and more legally troubling amounts were not involved in the petty politics of Ohio’s pettiest politician. (Petty: from the French, petit, meaning small, as in small-minded, or unimportant.)

After his infelicitous election in 2006, Mr. Dann set up an entity he named the Marc Dann OAG Transition Corporation. This was not a political committee, although it received contributions from “businesses, corporate political action committees, and individuals.” A less legal-sounding name for this not-for-profit business would be “slush fund” – to the tune of $195,000 of slush, and all but about $8,000 of it gone. Shovelsful went into his pockets, and those of his cronies:

-- More than $12,000 went to Feisty Dishes, an internet seller of dishes run by his wife, for whom Mr. Dann was reportedly packing orders after his resignation.

-- An additional check for $9,955 went to his wife personally and ended up in their joint bank account.

-- $5,000 went to henchman-in-chief Anthony Guttierez, and $9,500 to Leo Jennings III through his consulting firm. Both men would briefly become state employees.

Today’s reports in the mainstream media focus on the predictable matters that have been in the news for months – the sexual harassment, the Dublin condo, the security system at Mr. Dann’s home paid for with campaign money….

Wait! It turns out that, of the $40,000 or so that went for that security system, $5,524.76 of it went to pay for new windows.

I am overmatched. In the end, Mr. Dann’s own actions are his most eloquent critic.