When Sherrod Brown was Secretary of State, his employees were investigated for having sold drugs to undercover agents. Brown applied pressure to end the investigation so as to not hurt his chances for re-election. An Ohio State Highway Patrol investigator confirmed that Brown wanted the investigation dropped. What did Sherrod Brown do with the employee that was being investigated for selling drugs to an undercover agent? Sherrod Brown promoted him.
Two more employees were investigated for dealing drugs out of the office mailroom. One employee had to have her stomach pumped because she ate a brownie laced with marijuana.
What did Sherrod Brown do next? He hired a guy who was the subject of two drug investigations.
Ultimately, the county prosecutor concluded that nothing improper occured in Sherrod Brown's Secretary of State's office... Sherrod Brown went on to play at being a Congressman next...
Sherrod Brown has accepted a contribution from an organization dedicated to making marijuana legal for medicinal purposes and removing criminal penalties for marijuana usage.
Does this sound like the record of a guy who should be representing the Great State of Ohio in the United States Senate?
But don't take my word for it, here are what the state's newspapers have had to say:
Then-Secretary Of State Brown Employees Investigated For Selling Drugs To Undercover Agents:
"Two Employees Of Secretary Of State Sherrod Brown Escaped Felony Drug Prosecution In 1985, And Fingers Of Blame Were Pointed In All Directions Yesterday After The Disclosure." (Roger Snell and Mike Curtin, "Reviving Drug Case Branded As Politics Probe Centered On 2 In Secretary Of State's Office," The Columbus Dispatch, 6/23/90)
"The Investigation Began In March 1985 When Brown's Office Asked The Highway Patrol To Look Into Suspected Drug Dealing In His Office. During The Nine-Month Investigation, Undercover Agents Made Three Buys Of Marijuana And One Buy Of A Substance Purported To Be Cocaine From The Two Employees." (Roger Snell and Mike Curtin, "Reviving Drug Case Branded As Politics Probe Centered On 2 In Secretary Of State's Office," The Columbus Dispatch, 6/23/90)
"Patrol Records Also Show Brown Found A Bag Of Marijuana Beneath The Seat Of His State Car And Turned It Over To The Patrol." (Mary Beth Lane, "Sherrod Brown Denies Halting Drug Probe," The [Cleveland, OH] Plain Dealer, 6/23/90)
"No Charges Were Brought Against The Employees. The Case Was Closed In January 1986. The Employees Were Not Identified." (Mary Beth Lane, "Sherrod Brown Denies Halting Drug Probe," The [Cleveland, OH] Plain Dealer, 6/23/90)
Then-Secretary Of State Brown Pressured Investigation To End So It Would Not Hurt His Re-Election Campaign:
"Highway Patrol Records Say Brown Wanted The Investigation Halted As He Began His 1986 Re-Election Campaign." (Roger Snell and Mike Curtin, "Reviving Drug Case Branded As Politics Probe Centered On 2 In Secretary Of State's Office," The Columbus Dispatch, 6/23/90)
· "Brown Was Re-Elected To A Second Term As Secretary Of State In 1986." (Mary Beth Lane , "Sherrod Brown Denies Halting Drug Probe," The [Cleveland, OH] Plain Dealer, 6/23/90)
"A Patrol Investigative Report Dated Jan. 7, 1986, Says [Then-Assistant Franklin County Prosecutor David] Johnson And Two Patrol Supervisors, Lt. Joe Hopkins And Capt. Richard Wilcox, Agreed That The Nine-Month Investigation Should Be Placed 'On Hold Until Such Time Additional Information Is Developed Which Will Produce Evidence Of Additional Drug Activity.'" (Roger Snell and Mike Curtin, "Reviving Drug Case Branded As Politics Probe Centered On 2 In Secretary Of State's Office," The Columbus Dispatch, 6/23/90)
· "However, The Patrol Did Not Get That Chance. Patrol Records Show Brown Did Not Want Another Undercover Agent Coming Into The Office And Trying To Make More Drug Buys." (Roger Snell and Mike Curtin, "Reviving Drug Case Branded As Politics Probe Centered On 2 In Secretary Of State's Office," The Columbus Dispatch, 6/23/90)
· "Those Records Say Donald Kindt, Then A Top Brown Assistant, Tentatively Agreed To Hire An Undercover Agent As An Employee, But That Decision Was Overridden By Brown On Dec. 10, 1985." (Roger Snell and Mike Curtin, "Reviving Drug Case Branded As Politics Probe Centered On 2 In Secretary Of State's Office," The Columbus Dispatch, 6/23/90)
· "On Dec. 11, 1985, Hopkins Called Kindt, 'Who Advised That He Didn't Have Any Problems With The OSP (Ohio State Patrol) Over The Delay, But Brown Feels It Should Be Dropped As It Is Going Into The Next Year (1986).'" (Roger Snell and Mike Curtin, "Reviving Drug Case Branded As Politics Probe Centered On 2 In Secretary Of State's Office," The Columbus Dispatch, 6/23/90)
· "On Dec. 30, 1985, Kindt Told Hopkins That 'Brown Wants The Matter Dropped,' The Records Show." (Roger Snell and Mike Curtin, "Reviving Drug Case Branded As Politics Probe Centered On 2 In Secretary Of State's Office," The Columbus Dispatch, 6/23/90)
"'It Certainly Made It Very Close To Impossible To Make Any More Buys,' Said Lt. Col. Richard Curtis, Assistant Superintendent Of The Patrol." (Roger Snell and Mike Curtin, "Reviving Drug Case Branded As Politics Probe Centered On 2 In Secretary Of State's Office," The Columbus Dispatch, 6/23/90)
Ohio State Highway Patrol Investigator Said Then-Secretary Of State Brown Wanted Investigation Dropped:
"Secretary Of State Sherrod Brown Wanted A Drug Investigation In His Office Dropped Because He Feared It Could Hurt His Re-Election Chances, Said A [Joseph Hopkins] Former Investigator With The State Highway Patrol." ("Brown Wanted Probe Halted, Ex-Officer Says," The [Cleveland, OH] Plain Dealer, 7/5/90)
· Joseph Hopkins: "In my view, there was probable cause to believe there was inappropriate interference by someone in this case." ("Brown Wanted Probe Halted, Ex-Officer Says," The [Cleveland, OH] Plain Dealer, 7/5/90)
"Hopkins Also Said … That One Of His Reports Was Altered To Improperly Identify The Drug Activity In Brown's Office As Subject To Misdemeanor Charges Rather Than Felony Charges." ("Brown Wanted Probe Halted, Ex-Officer Says," The [Cleveland, OH] Plain Dealer, 7/5/90)
Employee Who Sold Drugs To Undercover Agent Was Promoted:
"An Employee Who Sold Drugs To An Undercover Agent In 1985 Was Promoted By Secretary Of State Sherrod Brown And Remains On The State's Payroll, The Dispatch Has Learned." (Roger Snell and Mike Curtin, "Suspect In Drug Case Promoted, Still On Payroll," The Columbus Dispatch, 7/8/90)
"The Employee Escaped Felony Drug Prosecution And Disciplinary Action Despite Evidence She Sold A 1/4-Ounce Bag Of Marijuana To The Agent In The Statehouse Parking Garage Aug. 9, 1985." (Roger Snell and Mike Curtin, "Suspect In Drug Case Promoted, Still On Payroll," The Columbus Dispatch, 7/8/90)
As Early As 1983, Two Other Employees Were Investigated For Selling Drugs In Office Mailroom:
"The First Investigation Began In August 1983, Brown's Eighth Month In Office. It Involved Reports That Two Of Brown's Employees Were Selling Marijuana From The Office Mailroom." (Roger Snell and Mike Curtin, "Patrol Conducted 3 Drug Investigations At State Office," The Columbus Dispatch, 6/27/90)
"The Investigation Was Closed In October 1983, After Surveillance Of The Two Suspects Failed To Uncover Sufficient Evidence." (Roger Snell and Mike Curtin, "Patrol Conducted 3 Drug Investigations At State Office," The Columbus Dispatch, 6/27/90)
Employee Had To Have Stomach Pumped Because She Ate Brownie Containing Marijuana At Office:
"The Third Investigation Began Last Oct. 5 [1989] When An Employee, A 33-Year-Old Woman, Said She Ate A Chocolate Brownie, Became Ill And Was Told By Another Employee That The Brownie Had Contained Marijuana." (Roger Snell and Mike Curtin, "Patrol Conducted 3 Drug Investigations At State Office," The Columbus Dispatch, 6/27/90)
"The Victim Was Taken To The Grant Medical Center Emergency Room, Where Medical Personnel Determined She Had Ingested Marijuana." (Roger Snell and Mike Curtin, "Patrol Conducted 3 Drug Investigations At State Office," The Columbus Dispatch, 6/27/90)
"Dr. Ron Thomas, At Grant, Indicated The Victim's Reaction Was Typical Of Someone Who Had Never Used Marijuana Before, Sgt. L.J. Jackson Wrote In His Report. 'Since There Is No Way To Prove How The Marijuana Got Into The Victim's System, This Case Will Be Considered Closed,' Jackson Wrote Oct. 23." (Roger Snell and Mike Curtin, "Patrol Conducted 3 Drug Investigations At State Office," The Columbus Dispatch, 6/27/90)
"The Case Ended Without Charges Or Prosecution, But A Subsequent Investigation By Brown's Office Led To The Resignation Of David H. Goldsmith, Now 38, On Dec. 12. Goldsmith, Who Could Not Be Reached For Comment, Was An Accounts Clerk In The Office Corporations Section." (Roger Snell and Mike Curtin, "Patrol Conducted 3 Drug Investigations At State Office," The Columbus Dispatch, 6/27/90)
"The Office Investigation Was Hampered Because Apparently Only Two Brownies Had Been Brought Into The Office And Both Were Eaten, Leaving No Evidence To Test." (Roger Snell and Mike Curtin, "Patrol Conducted 3 Drug Investigations At State Office," The Columbus Dispatch, 6/27/90)
Then-Secretary Of State Brown Hired Convicted Felon Who Was Subject Of Two Drug Investigations:
"Another Employee, A Convicted Felon Once Imprisoned For Manslaughter, Was Hired By Brown And Was The Subject Of State Highway Patrol Drug Investigations In 1983 And 1985." (Roger Snell and Mike Curtin, "Suspect In Drug Case Promoted, Still On Payroll," The Columbus Dispatch, 7/8/90)
· "Records Show That [James] Montgomery, A Mailroom Employee, Was Hired Shortly After Brown Took Office In 1983. Brown Knew That Montgomery, Now 37, Had Served Time For A Manslaughter Conviction, And Personnel Records Show That Montgomery Disclosed His Felony Record." (Roger Snell and Mike Curtin, "Suspect In Drug Case Promoted, Still On Payroll," The Columbus Dispatch, 7/8/90)
"In May 1972, Montgomery Pleaded Guilty To Manslaughter, Reduced From Second-Degree Murder. He Was Charged With The 1971 Shooting Death Of A Man When He Was 18 And Was Sentenced To One To 20 Years In Prison." (Roger Snell and Mike Curtin, "Suspect In Drug Case Promoted, Still On Payroll," The Columbus Dispatch, 7/8/90)
"Brown Said His Ex-Wife Was A Friend Of Montgomery's Wife, And So He Was Willing To Give Him A Chance." (Roger Snell and Mike Curtin, "Suspect In Drug Case Promoted, Still On Payroll," The Columbus Dispatch, 7/8/90)
"Within One Week Of His Hiring In 1983, Montgomery Was Observed With What A Security Officer Thought Was A Bag Of White Powder In The Lobby Of The Rhodes Tower. A Patrol Investigation Failed To Turn Up Evidence, And Montgomery Was Never Charged." (Roger Snell and Mike Curtin, "Suspect In Drug Case Promoted, Still On Payroll," The Columbus Dispatch, 7/8/90)
"In 1985, Montgomery Again Was The Subject Of A Patrol Investigation When He Sold Fake Cocaine To A Patrol Informant, A Felony Offense. Montgomery Was Never Charged After Patrol Supervisors Chose Not To Call The Informant As A Witness And Didn't Seek Prosecution." (Roger Snell and Mike Curtin, "Suspect In Drug Case Promoted, Still On Payroll," The Columbus Dispatch, 7/8/90)
County Prosecutor Concluded Nothing Improper Occurred:
"Franklin County Prosecutor S. Michael Miller Said … He Could Find No Evidence Of Impropriety In The Handling Of A 1985 Investigation Into Drug Trafficking In Ohio Secretary Of State Sherrod Brown's Office." (Joseph D. Rice, "No Tampering Found In Drug Probe," The [Cleveland, OH] Plain Dealer, 9/1/90)
"Miller Said He Accepted Brown's Explanation When He Told The Patrol In December 1985 That The Probe Should Be Concluded Because There Was No Indication Then Of Any Drug Sales In His Office." (Joseph D. Rice, "No Tampering Found In Drug Probe," The [Cleveland, OH] Plain Dealer, 9/1/90)
"Miller … Said He Had Talked To The Patrol Secretary Believed To Have Typed Hopkins' Report. He Said She Told Him That Reports Were Rewritten Routinely And That There Was No Difference In The Substance Of The Original Report And The Retyped One." (Joseph D. Rice, "No Tampering Found In Drug Probe," The [Cleveland, OH] Plain Dealer, 9/1/90)
"Miller Said He Had Asked Former Patrol Superintendent Jack Walsh And Retired Capt. W.F. Wilcox Why His Office Was Not Notified That An Undercover Agent For The Ohio Bureau Of Criminal Identification And Investigation Had Made A Drug Buy From One Of Brown's Employees In August 1985." (Joseph D. Rice, "No Tampering Found In Drug Probe," The [Cleveland, OH] Plain Dealer, 9/1/90)
· Miller: "They said they did not do it intentionally. Nor was it done in response to any kind of pressure." (Joseph D. Rice, "No Tampering Found In Drug Probe," The [Cleveland, OH] Plain Dealer, 9/1/90)
"Patrol Records Show Three Other Drug Sales Were Not Prosecuted Because The Patrol Did Not Want To Jeopardize An Informant In Brown's Office." (Joseph D. Rice, "No Tampering Found In Drug Probe," The [Cleveland, OH] Plain Dealer, 9/1/90)
Rep. Brown Received Contribution From Organization That Promotes Medial Marijuana And Removing Criminal Penalties For Marijuana:
In 2006 Senate Campaign, Rep. Brown Received $1,000 From The Marijuana Policy Project Medical Marijuana PAC. (Political Moneyline Website, www.tray.com, Accessed 10/3/06)i
· "[The Marijuana Policy Project] Believes That The Greatest Harm Associated With Marijuana Is Prison. To This End, MPP Focuses On Removing Criminal Penalties For Marijuana Use, With A Particular Emphasis On Making Marijuana Medically Available To Seriously Ill People Who Have The Approval Of Their Doctors." (Marijuana Policy Project Website, www.mpp.org Link , Accessed 10/3/06)
UPDATE: Wizbang has more on this story here.
