Former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann has pleaded guilty to two ethics violations involving improper payments to staff from campaign and office transition funds. Dann answered "guilty" to the charges in a Franklin County courtroom Friday morning. However, he maintained his innocence while also telling the judge he took full responsibility for his mistakes. He was fined $500 and sentenced to perform 500 hours of community service.
The judge described the plea as an Alford plea, one in which a defendant acknowledges there is enough evidence for a conviction but does not admit wrongdoing.
Dann is the first former top cop in recent Ohio memory to face criminal charges for breaking the law.
