Governor Taft sued over unreleased memos



A state senator sued Gov. Bob Taft Wednesday and asked the Ohio Supreme Court to order the governor to release records that could help explain investment losses at the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation. Ohio Governor Robert Taft served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tanzania in the 1960's.

Governor Taft sued over unreleased memos

Governor sued over unreleased memos
Secrecy protects governor, senator says
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Sandy Theis
Plain Dealer Bureau

[Excerpt]

Columbus - A state senator sued Gov. Bob Taft Wednesday and asked the Ohio Supreme Court to order the governor to release records that could help explain investment losses at the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation.

Sen. Marc Dann, a Youngstown Democrat, first requested the records June 13 and maintains they are being withheld to avoid embarrassing Taft.

"There is nothing more fundamental to democracy than the people's access to information," Dann told a news conference. "It's as simple as, 'What did the governor know and when did he know it?' "

Last month, after Taft said he did not know until June that MDL Capital Management had lost $215 million of bureau money, records showed his office learned of the losses last October.

Then-bureau Administrator Jim Conrad disclosed the losses in an Oct. 26 e-mail to Taft executive assistant Jim Samuel. Taft has said that Samuel did not pass the information up the line.

Dann is now seeking memos or other records from Samuel to Taft. He also wants correspondence written by bureau spokesman Jeremy Jackson to Taft and his appointees.

Taft maintains that the records "are protected by the doctrines of executive privilege and deliberative process privilege," according to a letter Wednesday to Dann from Elizabeth Luper Schuster, the governor's chief legal counsel.

The protections are not written into state law, but Schuster argues that federal courts have recognized them as necessary "to protect communication between government officials" and their removal would "discourage future . . . candid advice" to governors.

The MDL losses follow news that $10 million to $13 million of the bureau's investments into rare-coin funds controlled by prominent Republican donor Tom Noe might have been misappropriated.

E-mails released Wednesday reveal close ties between Noe and Cherie Carroll, executive assistant to Taft's former chief of staff, Brian Hicks. After leaving the governor's office, Carroll and Hicks became lobbyists.

When this story was posted in July 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:



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American Taboo: A Peace Corps Tragedy Returned Volunteers met with author Philip Weiss in Baltimore on June 18 to discuss the murder of Peace Corps Volunteer Deborah Gardner. Weiss was a member of a panel that included three psychiatrists and a criminal attorney. Meanwhile, the Seattle U.S. Attorney's office announced that Dennis Priven cannot be retried for the murder. "We do not believe this case can be prosecuted by anyone, not only us, but in any other jurisdiction in the United States." Read background on the case here.

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July 2, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Jim Bullington writes: Food Crisis in Niger 1 Jul Bobby Shriver helps organize Philadelphia Live 8 show 2 Jul Divinity school to start Moyers Scholar program 2 Jul Chic Dambach is President of Operation Respect 1 Jul Julian Dendy assesses Palau plant and insect diversity 1 Jul George Packer writes “The Home Front” about Iraq 1 Jul Mike Honda works to preserve WWII internment camps 1 Jul Jim Walsh supports increased benefits for veterans 1 Jul RPCVs discuss Peace Corps on VOA 1 Jul Jimmey Iszler brings international visitors to ND 30 Jun Chris Shays' bill prohibits anti-gay discrimination 30 Jun Mae Jemison to visit China 30 Jun Bob Taft praises Lake Erie on ‘Fish Ohio Day’ 30 Jun Jim Doyle announces Wisconsin budget surplus 30 Jun Al Kamen says Rehnquist may stay on with Nike 29 Jun Richard Celeste co-chairs report on Indo-US cooperation 29 Jun Director Vasquez in Caribbean to assess programs 29 Jun Thomas Gouttierre says militants desperate to interfere 29 Jun James Mayers teaches business in Bulgaria 28 Jun Prosecutor says Ex-coach stalling in RPCV assault 28 Jun Robert Tesh tests effects of West Nile virus 27 Jun

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June 26, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Mark Schneider says "Time running out in Haiti" 23 Jun Austin Merrill reviews the Rwandan story 26 Jun Elaine Chao named most underrated cabinet member 26 Jun Erik Martini headed to India in Foreign Service 25 Jun Franklin Williams Awards honors Community Leaders 24 Jun Trip Mackintosh's firm to represent Gitmo prisoners 24 Jun Tom Murphy applauds eminent domain decision 24 Jun DRI has furnished over $30 million in direct aid 24 Jun Doyle may receive challenge in his own party 24 Jun Dr. E. Jackson Allison joins fight against HIV/AIDS 23 Jun WTOL asks: Should Governor Bob Taft Resign? 23 Jun Donald A. Camp in Kathmandu for State Dept visit 22 Jun Al Kamen says Hyde finishing last budget 22 Jun Alice Rabson, 84, has been an activist her entire life 21 Jun Peace Corps Receives $1 Million for Tsunami efforts 21 Jun Gaddi Vasquez is no-nonsense guy 20 Jun NPCA announces Nine New Directors 20 Jun American Taboo: A Peace Corps Tragedy 20 Jun

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June 19, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Al Kamen says hard to start new agency - Charlie Peters disagrees 19 Jun Kera Carpenter opens "W Domku" restaurant in DC 19 Jun Savannah Thomas Arrigo wins Peace Corps lottery 18 Jun Mark Gearan honored for service to the community 18 Jun Chris Dodd pushes credit card legislation 18 Jun Shalala says to learn from England's Health Service 17 Jun An Interview with Tony Hall 17 Jun House committee approves only $325 Million for PC 16 Jun Sam Farr joins New “Out-of-Iraq Congressional Caucus” 16 Jun Tom Weisner proposes whistleblower protection ordinance 16 Jun Issues, Not Race, elected Phil Hardberger 16 Jun Peace Corps honors Father's Day 16 Jun Heather O'Neal fell in love with Nepal 15 Jun UPI honored for reporting on Lariam 13 Jun RPCVs announce "Haiti Innovation" 12 Jun Gary Presthus says circuitous path can lead to success 10 Jun Chris Matthews interviews Bill Moyers 10 Jun Holly Neill driven to improve water quality 9 Jun Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn marks PC's 44th anniversary 4 Jun Joy Teiken's eveningwear design will walk down runway 1 Jun Reed Hastings says competitors don’t get business model 26 May

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June 14: Peace Corps suspends Haiti program After Uzbekistan, the Peace Corps has announced the suspension of a second program this month - this time in Haiti. Background: The suspension comes after a US Embassy warning, a request from Tom Lantos' office, and the program suspension last year. For the record: PCOL supports Peace Corps' decision to suspend the two programs and commends the agency for the efficient way PCVs were evacuated safely. Our only concern now is with the placement of evacuated PCVs and the support they receive after interrupted service.

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