Strickland's Broken Promises on Corruption

That Was Then

Ted Strickland Said His Administration "Will Set a Higher Standard of Conduct."

• His own administration will set a higher standard of conduct, Mr. Strickland said, starting at the top and holding others accountable.  (Toledo Blade, 9/1/06)

Ted Strickland Said Democrats Would "Clean Our Own House."

• "It is important for Democrats to send a very clear message that we will clean our own house." (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 5/6/08)

Ted Strickland Said He Would "Get Rid of the Corruption."

• "We're going to get rid of the corruption," Strickland said. "We're going to hold people accountable." (The Associated Press, 9/5/06)

Ted Strickland Said Ohio Was Suffering from a "Corruption Tax."

• Strickland said Ohio "is suffering from a corruption tax," promising to bring sweeping changes to the way public business is done in Columbus and elsewhere. (Cincinnati Enquirer, 10/17/06)

Ted Strickland Said He Would Not Let Ohioans Down in Fighting Corruption.

• He added that "11.3 million Ohioans depend on us, and we're not going to let them down." (The Athens News, 10/30/06)

Ted Strickland Promised to Fight Pay-to-Play Government.

• Ohioans want their next governor to be "someone who avoids the corrupt pay to play leadership" that has plagued the state, Strickland said. (The Associated Press, 9/5/06)

This Is Now

Strickland says he's "too busy" to denounce Democrats targeted in a public corruption investigation in Cuyahoga County.

• The state’s top Democratic officeholders – Gov. Ted Strickland and Sen. Sherrod Brown – say they’re too busy doing their own jobs and focusing on issues like job creation to take a stand on whether Cuyahoga County public officials who are being investigated for corruption should resign. (The Plain Dealer, 09/23/09)

Strickland said he is "reserving judgment" on a major scandal involving prominent Democrats.

• Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland is still reserving judgment on the corruption probe involving top Cuyahoga County Democratic officials but said he won't have sympathy if they are guilty. (The Plain Dealer, 06/12/09)

Strickland refused to demand the resignation of a Democratic Party chairman under federal investigation.

• Gov. Ted Strickland said in an interview he has been asked by Democrats to urge [county commissioner Jimmy] Dimora, whose term ends in 2010, to step down.  Strickland said he doesn't feel it's appropriate for him to ask Dimora to leave... (The Plain Dealer, 08/13/08)

Strickland refused to speak out when the treasurer of the Ohio Democratic Party, Dean DePiero, was implicated in a corruption investigation.

• For the first time, Parma Mayor Dean DePiero is implicated. The charges do not name DePiero but allege a politician who could only be the Parma mayor gave something of value to Russo in exchange for Russo getting Kelley out of the mayoral race in 2003. (The Plain Dealer, 06/12/09)

Strickland has been accused by opinion leaders of "staying silent" about the scandal in Cuyahoga County.

• "On Monday, county Commissioners Tim Hagan and Peter Lawson Jones, county Treasurer Jim Rokakis and Lakewood Mayor Ed FitzGerald all publicly asked county Auditor Frank Russo to resign. Advice so good should be repeated as often as necessary by the state's top Democratic officeholders.  So far, however, Gov. Ted Strickland and the Cleveland area's Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher and Sen. Sherrod Brown have stayed silent."  (Editorial, The Plain Dealer, 09/23/09)
   
• "Reps. Dennis Kucinich and Marcia Fudge and numerous county officeholders say Russo must go. Other Democrats -- most notably Gov. Ted Strickland and Sen. Sherrod Brown -- should join the chorus." (Editorial, The Plain Dealer, 09/29/09)