In other Ohio news
Lottery boss gave 100 tickets to state trooper, report says
The head of the Ohio Lottery improperly gave 100 lottery tickets to a state trooper who pulled him over near Mansfield, the state watchdog said today.
The Ohio Inspector General's office faulted Michael A. Dolan, executive director of the Ohio Lottery, for giving the trooper 100 promotional lottery tickets after he was pulled over in January and not cited.
Dolan, a former Cleveland councilman whom Gov. Ted Strickland named to head the lottery in 2007, had been driving without a front license plate and was not wearing his seat belt. He told the trooper that he was on his way to Columbus to meet with Strickland.
He wrote a letter to the trooper, James M. Baker, thanking him for the "courtesy extended to me yesterday," and enclosed the lottery tickets.
Dolan told investigators that the lottery routinely issues promotional tickets to law enforcement agents and others.
But the inspector general said Dolan's actions were "lacking in sound judgment and improper." The report recommended the state establish a policy on such activities, but there were no further ramifications for Dolan.
Trooper should have kept his mouth shut and got to scratchin'.