Ohio Democrats Boot Out Attorney General Mark Dann

Columbus, OH (AHN) - Democratic state officials in Ohio voted to revoke their 2006 endorsement of state Attorney General Mark Dann over the weekend. Dann has been facing calls for his resignation amid a sexual harassment case against one of his aides.

The Ohio Democratic Party executive committee voted on Saturday to pass a resolution saying the party "no longer recognizes Marc Dann as an endorsed Democratic statewide officeholder."

"Now he's essentially viewed by the party as an unaffiliated Democrat." Party Chairman Chris Redfern is quoted by WYTV as saying. "Small D versus large D. Marc Dann can no longer attend any Democratic functions as an elected official. He won't attend any county events either."

Democrats in Ohio led by Gov. Ted Strickland began asking for Dann's resignation after Anthony Gutierrez, Dann's director of general services, was put on administrative leave following accusations from two female staff members of sexual harassment. The investigation of the allegations forced Dann to confess during a press conference earlier this month to having had an affair himself with another female staffer.

Dann released a statement last week responding for increasing calls for him to step down, saying, "I know that this is difficult, and I am truly sorry to have put all of you in this position. But our work is too important to do anything but our jobs today."