Embattled and scandal-ridden Ohio Attorney General Marc “Dannimal House” Dann will give a statement at noon today amid reports that his resignation is imminent. Stay tuned . . .
UPDATE: At 12:15pm there’s still no sign of Dann. Meanwhile, the Dispatch reports on a truly ridiculous rumor:
some of those close to Dann speculated this morning that he would not be stepping down, and instead may launch a legal battle to halt an independent investigation of his office by Inspector General Thomas P. Charles. Dann had not made any announcements to his top advisers as of 10:30.
Some Dann advisers have raised the possibility of Dann raising a constitutional separate of powers challenge, since the inspector general normally does not have the authority to investigate the attorney general’s office.
Such a challenge would be absurd, bordering on frivolous. It would also prove that these scandals are preventing the AG’s office from doing its job, and validate widespread speculation (reinforced by the daily trickle of new disclosures) that Dann’s misdeeds run far deeper than what’s been disclosed to date. It’s ever-more embarrassing to acknowledge that this clown is a Case Western alum.
BREAKING UPDATE – 12:30pm: Dann’s press statement has been canceled and the AG’s office is on “lockdown” to prevent the destruction or removal of documents. From the Dispatch:
A press conference by Attorney General Marc Dann will not be held and the 17th floor of the Rhodes Tower where his office is located is apparently on lock-down to protect sensitive documents that may be subject to investigation.
The State Highway Patrol is in the attorney general’s offices, checking employee badges and monitoring to see if documents are being removed from the floor, sources told The Dispatch. Troopers were even searching the purses of employees leaving the offices.
Whether the patrol was working at with Inspector General Thomas P. Charles, who promised to launch an investigation today, could not immediately be confirmed.
MORE from the PD: Dann Out to Lunch.
UPDATE – 1:20pm: A television news report on the Ohio News Network added some new details to the deal Dann sought yesterday. Specifically, the report claims Dann demanded another job and immunity from criminal prosecution in return for his resignation. To their credit, neither Democratic or Republican officeholders would contemplate such a deal.