The Cauldron

The recent bout of scandals involving high-ranking Democrats in Ohio may lead to more than a series of political headaches and official investigations. While the general national dissatisfaction with the current Republican administration undeniably favors Senator Barack Obama and his party, the winds may be blowing in a different direction in the Buckeye swing state.

Cuyahoga County in particular has been swept into what can only be described as a crisis in government, prompting the Cleveland Plain Dealer to create a special 'County in Crisis' section on its website.

On May 2, just weeks after delivering a lecture on predatory lending at Cleveland State's Marshall College of Law, Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann resigned amidst allegations of sexual harassment directed at one of his recently fired office aides and new revelations about an affair Dann had had with an employee. In addition, Dann had been accused of nepotistic hiring practices which overlooked better qualified candidates and rewarded close friends-among those being Anthony Gutierrez, the former aide accused of sexual harassment. A chorus of newspapers had called for his resignation in the past weeks, and the reaction on the part of Democrats was no less swift.

Then came the FBI raids.

In late July, FBI agents raided the homes of Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora and County Auditor Frank Russo, suspected of trading jobs and contracts for free or discounted improvements on their homes. Also questioned was Russo's free lance real estate gig, an obvious potential conflict of interest for an auditor. Ironically, on the same day, new allegations of extravagant vehicle purchases and financial irregularities continued swirling around the former Attorney General Dann and his aide Gutierrez.

In August, in a story that received less attention, former County Administrator Dennis Madden was accused of sexual harassment by a female employee. She claimed that both Commissioners Tim Hagan and Jimmy Dimora were aware of the behavior and did not act, and that Hagan suggested to her that she might be fired if she continued to speak about it. The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's office investigated the allegations and found no reason to pursue the charges, but Farina sued the commissioners and the case was privately settled in mid-August.

In contrast to the swift calls for Dann's resignation, Dimora and Russo have returned to work and have enjoyed a greater degree of support- or at least silence from fellow Democrats. This may have to do with the timing of the scandals- the resignation of top officials so close to the November elections could create political turmoil and an opening for Republicans.

While it is unlikely that the strong Democratic electorate of Cuyahoga County would make a full 360 turnaround, the scandals may tilt enough undecided voters toward John McCain to have an effect on the presidential election. The GOP continues to criticize the Democrats' handling of the situation. The Republican Party Chairman of Cuyahoga County, Rob Frost, recently called for immediate action, saying "In the recent situation involving then-Attorney General Marc Dann, fellow Democrats waited until Dann publicly admitted certain wrongdoing before calling for his resignation. I call upon Democratic leaders, Governor Ted Strickland, Board of Commissioners President Peter Lawson Jones, and Commissioner Tim Hagan, to show some courageous leadership on behalf of our citizens and join me now in calling for Dimora and Russo to step down."

Incidentally, it was Marc Dann's prominent investigation of the 'Coingate' scandal of 2005 involving a close friend of then- Governor Bob Taft and his exposure of corruption within then- Attorney General Jim Pedro's office that helped him win office in 2006. Whether or not these investigations and scandals could alter the outcome of the 2008 elections remains to be seen- but if history is any indication, both Republicans and Democrats will be watching the region closely in November.

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