Cuyahoga County Executive and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ed FitzGerald released the following statement, calling on Governor Kasich to ask for IG Meyer’s resignation.
“The Governor got it wrong from the beginning when he handpicked a partisan political supporter to be Ohio’s Inspector General, and he should now demand IG Meyer’s resignation. The botched CoinGate report is just the latest in a long string of embarrassing actions by the Inspector General, and the Governor should hold him responsible for his gross incompetence. Additionally, all CoinGate documents and all other IG investigations should be preserved for a independent investigator to review.”
Former Inspector General Was “Amazed” that Kasich Had Not Fired or Suspended Meyer for His Activity: “Former Inspector General David Sturtz, the state’s first inspector general, told the Columbus Dispatch that he was ‘amazed’ that Kasich had not fired or suspended Meyer for his activity.” [The Plain Dealer, 1/25/12]
Questions Raised About Kasich’s Inspector General Aggressiveness: “A year into the job, Ohio’s top watchdog has flagged few cases of wrongdoing inside the state government, prompting questions about his aggressiveness. New Inspector General Randy Meyer issued a dozen public investigatory reports last year, the fewest from the office since 2007. Five drew attention to misconduct by state employees that occurred after Republican Gov. John Kasich took office. The rest, most of which were started by the previous inspector general, looked at lapses in the administration of former Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat who left office at the beginning of 2011.” [The Columbus Dispatch, 1/15/12]