-
Login
-
Digital Edition
-
Print Edition
- Most Commented
- Most Commented
- Most Emailed
- Most Emailed
- Popular
- Popular
« News Home
Dann case: Will she or won’t she?
Tweet
By Bertram de Souza (Contact)
Alyssa Lenhoff, wife of disgraced ex-Ohio attorney general Marc Dann, will be invited — if she hasn’t already been — to play Let’s Make a Deal by Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien. It’s standard operating procedure. Prosecutors hook the big fish by first luring the little ones.
In the Dann case, which has been in the investigative hopper for more than a year, the former attorney general is Mr. Big. The others, including his wife, are a way of getting to him.
Already, three individuals who were part of the Dann cabal in Columbus have pleaded guilty to various charges and are cooperating with the prosecutor. Of course, it comes as no surprise that Leo Jennings, Anthony Gutierrez and Edgar Simpson are reportedly singing like canaries. There is no honor among Mahoning Valley’s thieves.
Now, it’s Lenhoff’s turn. To be sure, a wife cannot be forced to testify against her husband. But she certainly can do so voluntarily.
Grief
Why should she? To save herself a whole lot of personal and professional grief. As reported in The Columbus Dispatch and The Vindicator, the Ohio Ethics Commission and the Franklin County prosecutor are now focused on her and her husband.
And even though Lenhoff told The Vindicator that she is and always has been “eager to answer any questions that investigators may have,” the prospect of felony charges, or misdemeanor ones, can’t make her feel comfortable — despite her bravado.
Why? Because of her professional ties to Youngstown State University. Lenhoff, a veteran journalist who worked for The Warren Tribune and The Vindicator, is a journalism instructor.
While it is true that a mere mention of her name with regard to the ongoing investigation into her husband’s 17-month tenure as Ohio’s attorney general does not rise to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors, there is such a thing as public spotlight anxiety — for her and her employer.
While declining to discuss specifics, David Freel, executive director of the Ohio Ethics Commission, and Prosecutor O’Brien have acknowledged that the investigation into Dann’s actions while serving as the state’s top lawman is continuing. Thus, there will be news stories from now until the case is wrapped up. And in each story, as Lenhoff well knows, the cast of characters will be listed. Marc Dann, Alyssa Lenhoff, Leo Jennings, Anthony Gutierrez, Edgar Simpson. Over and over. Such is the nature of reporting.
Each time her name is mentioned, she will have to deal with her own demons and with the public reaction, especially on the campus of YSU.
“I am not aware of ever doing anything that violates any law and simply hope that this entire nightmare will finally be put to rest,” Lenoff said in an e-mail to The Vindicator.
That may well be, but what if she is confronted with questions not only about her actions, but those of her husband that would suggest wrongdoing?
What if she is asked whether she or the former attorney general ever used members of the security detail assigned to the family to perform tasks not considered part of their duties?
And it won’t stop there. Not if she decides to take her chances in a court of law. That’s what the prosecutor will offer Lenhoff: an end to the nightmare — perhaps in return for information about her husband’s activities.
Spending
No, O’Brien and Freel aren’t interested in the more lurid aspects of the Marc Dann’s life in Columbus. What they want to know is whether Dann’s use of money from his campaign fund and account created to pay expenses for the transition period between his surprise win in the 2006 general election and his taking the oath of office in January 2007 was lawful.
One of the rumors that has been circulating since the Dann investigation went into high gear is that money from the transition account was used to purchase furniture for the transition office — supposedly in the condominium Dann shared with Jennings and Gutierrez. Was the furniture sold after he took office, and if so, what happened to the proceeds?
It’s death by a thousand criminal justice cuts.
Alyssa Lenhoff has a lot more to lose than her husband, who will forever carry the stigma of disgrace.
Perhaps Marc Dann will do the honorable thing and say to his wife, “Do what’s in your best interest, dear.”
Comments
Wrong Bert
Testify against her husband ? Not a chance ! Deals have already been made in this case and Marc's future hinges on the the support of his political friends .
"Perhaps Marc Dann will do the honorable thing "
Why start now !
Alyssa will use the best lawyer cliches know to the legal profession...and she will simply..."not recall to the best of my ability"..."not to my knowledge"...."not that I was aware of"...blah, blah, blah. and NOTHING will come out of it.
Not a chance,..
She'll first off where would she work after she talked. See currently she's cashing checks tendered by YSU which is a criminal empire holdover haven where cronies cash in by connection,.. and therefore if she talks on crime bosses shes walked out the door.
That aside she'll never talk as long as Dann's owner Kingpin Cafaro is getting the kidskin gloves treatment and especially not to a mere Franklin County Prosecutor?,.. hear about J.J.'s joyride back home from Akron?
See Marc Dann is being sought by the fed's but not for the mess he made of himself. No see Marc Dann is being sought by being such a Cafaro watched liability now,..
This is a net where if anybody that's had connection with Dann linked Cafaro is going to talk. Rest assure it'll require far more than any Franklin county prosecutor to unlock their tongues,.. and the trio of Gutierrez, Jennings and Simpson are mere whore mongering minnows.
See Dann was positioned by Cafaro and it's recorded that the Cafaro syndicate had contributed better than $26,000 to Marc Dann's state Senate campaigns. Which, $10,000 came from John J. Cafaro himself,.. he's owned Dann for a long, long time and unlike Traficant, Tsagaris and Cronin it's Dann who can sink him.
See they followed that State senate deal up with shoveling more than $30,500 to Dann's quest to become attorney general.
Which not only got Dann wedged into position as the States top cop, But it was a precursor that shuttled the 2004 non electable Capri Cafaro into Dann's elected state seat as an appointee,.. here's where it get's really interesting.
See in that mix Dann touted Capri as " the only individual suited to assume his seat " and David Betras cosigned it,.. what resulted next?
Dann failed miserably, Betras became local party head and council for the Oakhill extortion campaign, Capri got a non elected State seat by Dann and Betra's doings,.. what ties the areas together?
Well in a domino effect Trumbull County Commissioner James Tsagaris and Mahoning County Judge Maureen Cronin goes to prison for being dual criminal Cafaro makes,.. and Dann's still being sought.
So see when they've already nabbed a county commissioner and a differing county judge being in Cafaro's control. You better not expect to get Dann's wife to talk real talk to a mere Franklin country prosecutor,..why should she.
See as a county prosecutor Ron O’Brien is a mere meter maid on this high crime, fast traffic, multi lane interstate with an array of makes along this expressway.
So no to expect her to sing to a county prosecutor that can't provide her neither the protection nor immunity she'd be looking for. Would be about as logical as expecting an Eva Braun to seek sanctuary from spilling the beans to a Paul Gaines,.. MAKE HER LAUGH !
So sure her ring bearer has disgraced her but it's a lot bigger than that. As witnessed by how Cafaro just managed to have gotten a reduced fare ride back to the roost.
@Stan
What future?
In regards to public acceptance Marc Dann is fork fitted finished.
He knows his ability to sustain hinges solely on if John J. Cafaro doesn't get Fed pegged and there's no two ways about it.
Right along with a slew of local pons that was frightened as Halloween babies during trick or treat when Cafaro was detained out of their eyesight.
Marc Dann was likely among the most frightened of the bunch. See he can withstand what those like Gutierrez, Jennings and Simpson dished.
But Dann knows just like he holds a full deck on Cafero. So does Cafaro hold his fate in his hands.
So Dann doesn't want Cafaro to sweat because Dann knows the history of when the muck gets shucked. Cafaro has a long and recent history of rolling on underlings like a big foot at a grape smashing winery.
So don't think Dann's not thinking about how things turned out for former congressman Traficant, former commissioner Tsagaris, and former Judge Cronin,.. they're now " Pen " pals.
For which now Dann's merely in line to be next and no matter if Capri gets another crack at the immunity apple she's finished and keep an ear out for Joe Schiavoni and Dan Betras too,.. among others.
Bertram,
You seem to be the lone wolf crying in the night about the Dann / Cafaro issues.
Does your employer want to squelch your articles?