Recordpub.com - Strickland: Maturity is a top quality for replacement

By Marc Kovac

Record-Courier Capital Bureau

COLUMBUS -- Gov. Ted Strickland said he would immediately begin considering potential candidates to replace Attorney General Marc Dann.

Speaking to a packed Cabinet Room full of reporters and camera crews, the governor said "maturity" was a top quality he would seek in compiling his short list.

"Maturity, experience, management ability -- those certainly are criteria that I think are essential, especially now," Strickland said. "We need someone who can provide confidence to the many, many employees of the attorney general's office, someone who is recognized as a person of great integrity."

He added, "I have not spent time thinking about that issue. I will begin that process obviously immediately, probably as early as this afternoon."

Investigation Continues

Strickland said the inspector general's investigation of the office, launched Wednesday after he signed legislation late Tuesday giving Tom Charles that authority, would continue. About a dozen members of the Inspector General's office were in Dann's office earlier in the day interviewing employees, reviewing files and carting off computers and equipment.

"Now that (the legislation has been enacted giving the inspector general power to investigate) has been done, my\ role as governor is to keep a hands-off stance toward that investigation and let it proceed and let the chips fall where they may," he said, adding later, "Investigations will continue, as they should. But I think, now that the attorney general has resigned, we can begin the process of making sure that the attorney general's office is operating fully for the state of Ohio."

Finding a replacement

An ultimate replacement for Dann will be decided by voters in November. For the interim, the governor, citing Ohio Revised Code, said First Assistant Attorney General Tom Winters will assume leadership over the office, "until such time that I would make either an interim appointment or an appointment of someone who would stand for election in November. I have not yet considered what course of action that I will take in that regard or what individuals will be considered for that position." (Winters, via a memo later distributed to media, informed office employees of his role late Wednesday.)

Strickland offered no timeline for appointing someone to replace Winters and said he had not started a short list of possible candidates. He said he would "look at the agency and try to identify the person who will best lead it. I will do that, I will turn my attention to that, very quickly."

Among those mentioned as possible successors are Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, higher education chancellor Eric Fingerhut, state Treasurer Richard Cordray, Cuyahoga County prosecutor Bill Mason and Strickland's chief legal counsel Kent Markus, according to the Associated Press.

The governor said Dann was offered no employment or deals to entice his resignation.

"There was absolutely no deal made between me or my administration and Attorney General Dann," Strickland said, adding later, "There was no agreement or deal of any kind which led to this resignation."