Posted on 03/31/2009 11:28:48 AM PDT by buccaneer81
Lottery boss gave 100 tickets to state trooper, report says Tuesday, March 31, 2009 1:12 PM By James Nash THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Read the report
* Click here to read the full report from the Ohio Inspector General's Office (PDF).
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.
its not like he handed the tickets to him out the car window
Actually, I’m thinking the trooper must have reported the lottery tickets. How else would anyone know?
I agree.
I always wondered how corruption of the lottery system would seep into the game. This is one way.
Sounds like the trooper let him go and was mailed the tickets later. Unless the lottery guy was let go because of the promise of tickets to the trooper, it doesn’t sound like the trooper did anything wrong.
No, but the appearance of impropriety is definitely there. He most definitely used his position to convey his "importance" to the trooper.
I agree
If the trooper turned the unused tickets in, I agree with you that he did nothing wrong. Poor journalism in not getting that part of the story.
I don’t see any impropriety in this story. It wasn’t a bribe. It didn’t influence the outcome and that doesn’t appear to have been the intent.
Yeah, the article is a bit lacking.
That’s what it looks like to me.
From the report:
The letter indicated that the trooper should share these tickets with his “fellow Troopers.” The letter and promotional lottery tickets were forwarded by the trooper’s supervisor to the Ohio State Highway Patrol Headquarters in Columbus. On February 2, 2009, the OIG was made aware of this incident and an investigation was initiated.
So, you posted the article and made comments without reading the OIG report...
The trooper did the right thing - when he received the letter and the tickets he forwarded them to his supervisor, who sent the information up the Chain of Command. It is the trooper and his supervisor who are responsible for the investigation.
From page 8 of the OIG report on the investigation:
"We found no fault in the trooper's or his supervisor's actions. They correctly reported the incident to their superiors."
Care to reconsider your opinion of the Trooper in this matter?
The lottery guy should be canned, I agree, but the LEO did the right thing.
He should be commended, not suspended.
The letter indicated that the trooper should share these tickets with his “fellow Troopers.” The letter and promotional lottery tickets were forwarded by the trooper’s supervisor to the Ohio State Highway Patrol Headquarters in Columbus. On February 2, 2009, the OIG was made aware of this incident and an investigation was initiated.
Absolutely. I relied on the stupid journalist before I read the report. See my posts # 13 and # 15.
A valuable lesson for anyone. (wink)
LOL! I must be slipping!
One of them asked me, "Would YOU go to a casino that was in Chapter 11???"
But get a load of this: Dolan told investigators that the lottery routinely issues promotional tickets to law enforcement agents and others.
What the...? The lottery official admits to routine handouts to LE? They'd better look at the whole stinking operation then, not just this one instance with the one traffic stop. Free lottery tickets to law enforcement is a not a legit "promotion."
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