Breaking: Bob Bennett will step down
I have it from a couple of reliable sources that Ohio GOP Chairman (and lone remaining member of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections) Bob Bennett will step down from his place on the CuyCo board. The saga that began with Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner’s recent request for the resignations of the entire board culminating with an investigational hearing scheduled for April 2nd continues with maneuvers behind closed doors.
The question now is not whether Bennett will step down, but when. The Chairman is apparently getting heat from party supporters who are majoritively in favor of his resignation. While there is a strong and somewhat vocal minority that believe he should stay on and fight, Chairman Bennett has apparently seen the handwriting on the wall. The only real hang-up now for Bennett is how to extricate himself without admitting any wrongdoing (which is correct, because even though this board has failed miserably, no apparent signs of malfeasance on his part exist).
In exchange for his resignation, the Chairman is believed to want a statement from Brunner absolving him of any blame, and a formal censure of the Cuyahoga County prosecutor for failing to properly advise the board on election procedures and law.
I hope for the party’s sake he steps down soon, but he may be waiting for hell to freeze over if he thinks the Secretary of State will roll over on County Prosecutor Bill Mason.
[…] With today’s news that the remaining member of the board Ohio GOP Chairman Bob Bennett is looking for a way out, it would appear that the other GOP seat will be available. A name that came up yesterday and seems to make a great deal of sense is that of Jeff Dean. Dean is a Solon-based attorney who once served as a member of the Ohio House and currently leads the American Society of Explosives Engineers. I’ve known Jeff for a long time and think he would be a good fit for this board. He’s an attorney who understands elections and also has a level of historical knowledge that would benefit a new board and director. […]
[…] Bob Bennett resigned today from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. Not that I enjoy dancing on somebody’s grave, but I told you this would happen. […]