blogger interrupted

Earlier today, I emailed Jeff Rusnak, Brian Rothenberg, and Dave Harding of Progress Ohio to ask if anything I’ve written in this piece is inaccurate.  No response.  One would assume that Progress Ohio would want to correct the growing notion, if it were false, that Leo Jennings is in fact working for Progress Ohio.  If they don’t, then it’s pretty safe to assume Leo Jennings is working for Progress Ohio.

Will let you know if I hear from them.

Not holding my breath.  

UPDATE:  Apparently Rothenberg is more comfortable spinning the Columbus Dispatch than a blogger.  Who could blame him?

When the liberal think tank ProgressOhio needed someone to pitch in for a writing assignment last month, it turned to a radioactive figure: Leo Jennings III, the fired spokesman for disgraced former Attorney General Marc Dann.

That was a mistake, ProgessOhio’s executive director now admits.

Think tank?  So THAT’S what Progress Ohio is.  Who knew?  I’m hearing it was no mistake to hire Leo, and that Rusnak put him in there on purpose.  

After being criticized on both liberal and conservative blogs for enlisting Jennings, ProgressOhio’s Brian Rothenberg said today that he won’t farm out any work to the Youngstown-area operative at least until an investigation of the attorney general’s office is completed.

So Leo’s still on the list for “consulting”.  I’m gonna guess he’s still on someone’s payroll.  

Rothenberg said Jennings never was on ProgressOhio’s payroll but did one minor writing assignment for two weeks in July.

So Jennings did a “minor writing assignment” for free?  What reporter just lets someone get away with the “he’s not on the payroll” dodge?  I guess the Dispatch!

“It was some internal stuff I needed to get done,” Rothenberg said. “Perhaps in hindsight I should have waited until the (office) investigation was done. He’s a very good writer.”

Leo Jennings is not a good writer.  Trust me.  I worked with him once.  He’s a hack.  What Leo Jennings happens to be is Jeff Rusnak’s buddy.

Whether or not Progress Ohio still plans to put Leo to work “writing” in the future, nothing in this story denies that Jennings is still getting paid a consulting fee by MRSS, Jeff Rusnak’s firm.  Nor, actually, does it deny that Progress Ohio itself is still paying Jennings on a 1099.  Just says “payroll.”

Rothy, your incompetence is showing.

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