05-02-2008, 10:53 AM
Scandal explodes in AG office
BY JON CRAIG | JCRAIG@ENQUIRER.COM
UPDATE from Jon Craig
COLUMBUS - Two top aides to Attorney General Marc Dann were fired today after an investigation of sexual harassment and intimidation complaints. Two other employees of Dann’s resigned Thursday in the wake of an internal probe.
After Dann accepted today's resignations, he dropped another bombshell.
With his lip quivering and choking back tears, he apologized to his wife, Alyssa Lenhoff, and admitted to having an inappropriate romantic relationship "in a difficult time in my marriage."
"I apologize from the bottom of my heart,'' he said.
Dann, who has been likened to former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer for his aggressive prosecutions of major corporations, is now also mired in a personal scandal likely to dog him if he runs to re-election in 2010.
But Dann said his personal failings did not require that he resign.
"This has been agonizing, personally, politically,'' Dann said.
"John Wayne once said,' Like is getting up when you've been knocked down,''' Dann said, promising to make changes in spite of his shortcomings.
Dann said he did not come clean sooner because of ongoing investigations.
"I was elected by the people of the state of Ohio. We have done great work. . .There is nobody who has raised a single concern about the delivery of our services."
Dann said he told his wife about the romantic relationship months ago, but would not name the employee today.
However, other staff complained about evening meetings Dann had with former scheduler Jessica Utovich, who had planned a trip with Dann to Turkey.
Assistant Attorney General Tom Winters said today that he had kept Utovich from going on that trip, despite the fact that the Ohio Chiefs of Police Association bought her an airline ticket to Turkey.
![[Image: bilde?Dato=20080502&Kategori=NEW...mp;Title=0]](http://cmsimg.enquirer.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Dato=20080502&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=305020030&Ref=AR&Q=80&MaxW=450&MaxH=475&Site=AB&Q=80&Border=0&Title=0)
Executive Assistant Attorney General Ben Espy answers questions during a news conference today.
Female employees of Attorney General Marc Dann suffered a “hostile work environment’’ due to sexual harassment and intimidation, the internal investigation concluded today.
General Services Director Anthony Gutierrez created “a hostile work environment,’’ according to a 58-page report released today.
Leo Jennings III, Dann’s communications director, also was fired for interfering with the probe after he advised another state employee to “be loose with the facts.’.
Both had been on paid leave.
A third employee, Chief of Policy Edward Simpson, resigned Thursday night after it was found he mishandled the original harassment complaints, the report said.
Gutierrez abused his close friendship with Dann “that he could do almost anything he wanted to do,’’ Assistant Attorney General Ben E. Espy said at a news conference this morning. “Cronyism has no place in this office.”
Gutierrez told subordinates stories about his grandfather being in the Mafia -- and reminded them of his friendship with Dann -- to exert influence over the employees who were told they “owed him something.’’
The complaints centered on an incident in September 2007 in which Gutierrez made alleged improper sexual advances on Cindy Stankoski at a Dublin condo then shared with Dann and Jennings after a night of heavy drinking.
Dann, who planned a separate news conference later today, denied any direct knowledge of harassment that night, Espy said, noting he did not investigate rumors of any consensual affairs between staff “because that was not the scope of my investigation.”
Stankoski also complained of improper advances by Gutierrez during an October business trip to Cincinnati and on other occasions, according to today’s report. Gutierrez denied most of the allegations, but text messages and interviews confirm some of the female employees’ accounts, according to Espy.
Stankoski and a second complainant, Vanessa Stout, have been offered professional counseling and their state jobs and benefits are secure, Espy said. Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Ohio Highway Patrol investigations are ongoing. .
Espy said he could put to rest reports that Dann’s former scheduler wore pajamas while spending evenings at a condo Dann shared with Gutierrez and Jennings. Espy said she wore sweat clothes but it was improperly reported as “p.j.s” in an initial complaint.
The scheduler, Jessica Utovich, also resigned Thursday effective May 8.
“It is clear that the Attorney General Marc Dann exercised poor judgment by engaging in and permitting Cindy Stankoski to come to his home for drinks and pizza,’’ today’s report concluded.
“Cronyism has no place in the Attorney General’s Office. Individuals should be hired based on their ability to do the job and not because of friendships without regard for their qualifications.”
Espy criticized other state employees for tolerating and failing to investigate rumors of other improper behavior including Gutierrez’ regular use of state cars while drinking, and carrying a gun in the cars. The state Highway Patrol and Department of Administrative Services are conducting separate investigations of accidents Gutierrez had in state cars, Espy said. While the scope of the probe was narrow, it included interviews with 23 people and reviews of 600 pages of documents., Espy said.
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...eakingnews
BY JON CRAIG | JCRAIG@ENQUIRER.COM
UPDATE from Jon Craig
COLUMBUS - Two top aides to Attorney General Marc Dann were fired today after an investigation of sexual harassment and intimidation complaints. Two other employees of Dann’s resigned Thursday in the wake of an internal probe.
After Dann accepted today's resignations, he dropped another bombshell.
With his lip quivering and choking back tears, he apologized to his wife, Alyssa Lenhoff, and admitted to having an inappropriate romantic relationship "in a difficult time in my marriage."
"I apologize from the bottom of my heart,'' he said.
Dann, who has been likened to former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer for his aggressive prosecutions of major corporations, is now also mired in a personal scandal likely to dog him if he runs to re-election in 2010.
But Dann said his personal failings did not require that he resign.
"This has been agonizing, personally, politically,'' Dann said.
"John Wayne once said,' Like is getting up when you've been knocked down,''' Dann said, promising to make changes in spite of his shortcomings.
Dann said he did not come clean sooner because of ongoing investigations.
"I was elected by the people of the state of Ohio. We have done great work. . .There is nobody who has raised a single concern about the delivery of our services."
Dann said he told his wife about the romantic relationship months ago, but would not name the employee today.
However, other staff complained about evening meetings Dann had with former scheduler Jessica Utovich, who had planned a trip with Dann to Turkey.
Assistant Attorney General Tom Winters said today that he had kept Utovich from going on that trip, despite the fact that the Ohio Chiefs of Police Association bought her an airline ticket to Turkey.
Executive Assistant Attorney General Ben Espy answers questions during a news conference today.
Female employees of Attorney General Marc Dann suffered a “hostile work environment’’ due to sexual harassment and intimidation, the internal investigation concluded today.
General Services Director Anthony Gutierrez created “a hostile work environment,’’ according to a 58-page report released today.
Leo Jennings III, Dann’s communications director, also was fired for interfering with the probe after he advised another state employee to “be loose with the facts.’.
Both had been on paid leave.
A third employee, Chief of Policy Edward Simpson, resigned Thursday night after it was found he mishandled the original harassment complaints, the report said.
Gutierrez abused his close friendship with Dann “that he could do almost anything he wanted to do,’’ Assistant Attorney General Ben E. Espy said at a news conference this morning. “Cronyism has no place in this office.”
Gutierrez told subordinates stories about his grandfather being in the Mafia -- and reminded them of his friendship with Dann -- to exert influence over the employees who were told they “owed him something.’’
The complaints centered on an incident in September 2007 in which Gutierrez made alleged improper sexual advances on Cindy Stankoski at a Dublin condo then shared with Dann and Jennings after a night of heavy drinking.
Dann, who planned a separate news conference later today, denied any direct knowledge of harassment that night, Espy said, noting he did not investigate rumors of any consensual affairs between staff “because that was not the scope of my investigation.”
Stankoski also complained of improper advances by Gutierrez during an October business trip to Cincinnati and on other occasions, according to today’s report. Gutierrez denied most of the allegations, but text messages and interviews confirm some of the female employees’ accounts, according to Espy.
Stankoski and a second complainant, Vanessa Stout, have been offered professional counseling and their state jobs and benefits are secure, Espy said. Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Ohio Highway Patrol investigations are ongoing. .
Espy said he could put to rest reports that Dann’s former scheduler wore pajamas while spending evenings at a condo Dann shared with Gutierrez and Jennings. Espy said she wore sweat clothes but it was improperly reported as “p.j.s” in an initial complaint.
The scheduler, Jessica Utovich, also resigned Thursday effective May 8.
“It is clear that the Attorney General Marc Dann exercised poor judgment by engaging in and permitting Cindy Stankoski to come to his home for drinks and pizza,’’ today’s report concluded.
“Cronyism has no place in the Attorney General’s Office. Individuals should be hired based on their ability to do the job and not because of friendships without regard for their qualifications.”
Espy criticized other state employees for tolerating and failing to investigate rumors of other improper behavior including Gutierrez’ regular use of state cars while drinking, and carrying a gun in the cars. The state Highway Patrol and Department of Administrative Services are conducting separate investigations of accidents Gutierrez had in state cars, Espy said. While the scope of the probe was narrow, it included interviews with 23 people and reviews of 600 pages of documents., Espy said.
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...eakingnews
