From the monthly archives: May 2010
Senator David Goodman (R-Columbus) is in his lame duck term.? He’s largely legislated as a moderate Republican (or in Naugle-ese “RINO”) and has almost been downright socially liberal on issues, like adding GLBT protections to Ohio’s employment anti-discrimination laws.
So I (and apparently other Capitol Square watchers) have been taken back by Goodman’s rather hard right turn on the whole affair involving tobacco at the Governor’s Mansion.
I’ve been told this story is circulating around the hearing room that is the only explanation I’ve heard, and it makes a lot of sense.
Apparently, Senator Goodman believes his social moderate stances [...]
Full Story... →Goodman is attacking the Director for attacking the Inspector General claiming that in “the boss” dispute that she wasn’t clear in her answer. However, Goodman falsely suggests that’s what the Inspector General said. What the report actually said was that she refused to acknowledge that the term “boss” meant Governor when she actually had.
Even in the portions of the transcript of Cathy Collins-Taylor just read on that subject, Goodman noted that she used the term “him” as the boss.
In other words, Goodman was wrong on both counts. Charles did not criticize her for giving an unclear answer, he [...]
Full Story... →Problem with springing up a surprise witness at the last minute is that you probably didn’t vet him yourself.
Earl Mack, Jr., the Deputy Director of the Ohio Department of Homeland Security who testified that he sort of maybe implied from his boss that he thought that ODPS wanted to leak a classified report on the security of the Governor’s Mansion in a plot that would have only resulted in ODPS employees being federally charged sued the Ohio Department of Public Safety… recently.
In the action of Mack v. Dwight Holcomb, et. al, U.S. District Court-N.D. Ohio Case [...]
Full Story... →Tim Grendell has demonstrated that he is willing to go to any lengths to try and smear Cathy Collins-Taylor. He’s even willing to try and sandbag her nomination with ridiculous new charges based on nothing more than hearsay.
Grendell called Earl Mack, an Assistant Director at the Ohio Department of Homeland Security as a surprise witness. Mack’s testimony was that Ohio Department of Public Safety Cathy Collins-Taylor, personally, wanted classified report on the Governor’s Mansion security given to Charles in the hopes he would leak it to expose him to federal criminal prosecution.
HOWEVER, as WBNS 10 noted [...]
Full Story... →Again, Chairman Grendell is engaged in another retread by having someone who has already testified to the committee appear again.
What’s remarkable about the lengthy testimony of Costas is that while he’s getting alot of attention in the hearing, there’s very little evidence that he was involved, at all, in the decisions regarding the tobacco sting at the Governor’s Mansion.
Thomas Charles only mentions Costas twice in his entire report. And both mentions only say that he, along with others, received an e-mail about the plan.
However, Charles has never publicly released any interview of Ret. Lt. Col. [...]
Full Story... →Here’s Sen. Goodman in a written letter to the Governor on May 6th:
“I believe it is in the best interests of your Bexley neighbors – my constituents, the safety of our prison system and the future of a program you support, to suspend the inmate work program until all of the security concerns raised by the inspector general have been answered,” he wrote.
Here’s Goodman’s sworn testimony as a witness today:
“I did not say shut this down because I know much (Strickland) cares about it, how much he likes it and wants to support [...]
Full Story... →The Columbus Dispatch‘s Daily Brief Blog reveals Tim Grendell’s “theory” of the case:
With more than 30 years of legal experience, Sen. Timothy J. Grendell thinks he has a good idea why Public Safety Director Cathy Collins-Taylor has been reluctant to take responsibility for canceling a contraband sting at the Governor?s Residence.
…
?As a lawyer, I know what happened,? Grendell said yesterday. ?Somebody told Collins-Taylor that as a civilian, you could be obstructing justice. But a uniformed officer can?t. So you?ve got to shift this decision from you to Dicken. Unfortunately that makes people have to say [...]
Full Story... →Well, I can’t blame the Cleveland Plain Dealer for trying, but unfortunately that ship has already sailed given Grendell’s comments in this morning Columbus Dispatch.
“Good thing Geauga County Republican Timothy Grendell chairs the Ohio Senate’s Judiciary-Criminal Justice Committee: Every circus needs a ringmaster, and Grendell is a pro.”
When you haven’t even started your hearings and the media is already calling it a circus, you’re in trouble.
Were another Republican in the chair, it would be easier to believe the hearings will be fair and even-handed.
…
Grendell and his fellow Republicans must [...]
Full Story... →He’s literally becoming Ohio Department of Public Safety Acting Director Cathy Collins-Taylor best ally. His over-the-top and ridiculous criticisms are publicly demonstrating that she will not get a fair hearing by Grendell before the hearings have even started!
Here’s Grendell’s reaction, as reported by the Columbus Dispatch to yesterday’s ODPS report on the Inspector General’s report.
Grendell had a different take: “It’s a sad day when the Department of Public Safety has to spend 26 pages trying to explain the conduct of their personnel.”
For the record, it took Thomas Charles’ office 48 pages (not counting exhibits) to [...]
Full Story... →So they’ve announced a Call to Action on Facebook to lobby Republican members of the Senate to support Cathy Collins-Taylor:
We cannot let the distinguished career of a law enforcement officer, mother and administrator be besmirched by a sloppy investigative report and a partisan, political hearing with a predetermined outcome. We must make our voice heard!
We need you to call the Senators below and tell them that you:
1. Support the confirmation of Cathy Collins-Taylor as the Director of ODPS
2. Oppose the Republican effort to politicize her hearings
Senator Tim Grendell – (614) 644-7718
Senator Jim [...]
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