(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, as counsel for Gov. Mike DeWine, today filed a complaint seeking the suspension and removal of Sandusky County Prosecutor Tim Braun.
The complaint, filed today in the Sandusky County Court of Common Pleas, states that Braun should be removed from office for his willful and flagrant transgressions in his position as prosecutor.
The complaint reads, “Braun’s pattern of misconduct towards his female subordinates, his criminal investigation into the missing personnel files, his seizure of his female subordinates’ private cell phone records, and his conviction of Negligent Assault on his female subordinate together demonstrate that he committed gross neglect of duty, gross immorality, misfeasance, malfeasance, and/or nonfeasance and is therefore guilty of misconduct in office and should be removed from office in accordance with Ohio Revised Code Sections 3.07 and 3.08.”
The filing outlines in part that Braun’s conviction has rendered him unable to perform the basic and fundamental duties of a prosecutor, that he cannot and should not be trusted with the power and authority of the office, and that he has caused irreparable damage to the office and its ability to advocate for women meaningfully.
The complaint requests an immediate suspension of Braun pending the hearing on the complaint for removal, as his continued presence as the county prosecutor harms the public welfare.
On Dec. 6, 2019, Braun pleaded guilty and was convicted of one count of negligent assault, arising from his improper physical contact in the workplace.
Yost previously called for Braun’s resignation on Oct. 29, 2019, following an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
An accessible version of the linked file is available by request.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Steve Irwin: 614-728-5417
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