Columbus - Far from the power and prestige of the office he once ran, Gov. Bob Taft's former chief of staff Brian Hicks was found guilty of a misdemeanor amid criminal offenders, crying babies and sweaty onlookers in Franklin County Municipal Court on Friday.In an 11th-hour deal with prosecutors, Hicks, 40 - Taft's most trusted aide for a dozen years - pleaded no contest to failing to properly report a pair of vacation stays at the Florida Keys home of rare-coin dealer Tom Noe. Noe, a heavyweight Republican fund-raiser, is the central figure in a state investment scandal at the Bureau of Workers' Compensation.
Municipal Judge Scott VanDerKarr fined Hicks $1,000 plus court costs. He could have also received six months in jail.
Hicks' case was being closely watched by political observers, who believed it could hint at Taft's likely treatment for a far more extensive list of unreported gifts, including 59 golf outings.
So Hicks is guilty on the ethics charge. What does Bob Taft have to say?
In a statement, Taft said he was disappointed that the pair failed to comply with ethics laws. "I believe they did the right thing in admitting and being willing to be held accountable for their mistakes," Taft said. He called Hicks "an ethical, capable and hard-working chief of staff."
So will you admit, Bob, to lying about Ohio's economic status during the 2002 election? Will you admit to your own ethics violations? Calling someone ethical and cabable after they had been found guilty of not being ethical, well, it makes us all wonder.