Crippled by a sexual harassment scandal surrounding his office and an admitted affair with a staff member, embattled Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann resigned Wednesday. Dann, 46, made the announcement at the Ohio Statehouse shortly before 5 p.m., joined by Gov. Ted Strickland, who had called for his resignation just over a week before. "The only way to protect the priorities of the attorney general's office and the people of Ohio is to remove myself as attorney general," Dann said.
The state's top lawyer, a Democrat, left the press conference without taking questions. He stepped down a day after Democrats in the Ohio House of Representatives had filed articles of impeachment against him and Ted Strickland signed an amended bill that allowed Ohio Inspector General Thomas Charles to begin a probe of Dann's office. That investigation began Wednesday morning and won't be affected by Dann's resignation. "Attorney General Dann did the honorable thing by resigning," Strickland said, adding that no deal was brokered with his office regarding his resignation. "It will allow the important work of the attorney general's office to continue without the distraction of recent events."
Tom Winters, Dann's first assistant attorney general, will serve in the position until an interim appointment is made.