Probe of Salem police information leak continues
By LARRY SHIELDSSALEM - The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification & Investigation is continuing its investigation into the leak of police investigative notes for a reported altercation at Stooges in Salem on Sept. 21.
The incident allegedly involved Republican state Rep. candidate Caroline Hergenrother who was challenging incumbent state Rep. Linda Bolon (D-1) at the time. Bolon defeated Hergenrother on Nov. 4.
The incident prompted Salem Police Chief Bob Floor to request the BCI&I to handle the investigation.
Floor said he didn't want even the perception of impropriety regarding the investigation and wanted answers regarding what he, at the time, called the improper release of the investigative information.
The question is whether the leak was criminal or not.
Floor said he wanted to know who, when and why it occurred.
On Tuesday, Jennifer Brindisi, a spokesperson for the Ohio attorney general's office said, "It's still in our hands. It's fair to say with the election over this is a priority.
"It's still active and ongoing with a special agent assigned.
"We've had contact with the prosecutor (Robert Herron's office)."
At the time, the incident drew a heated challenge from Columbiana County Republican Party Chairman David Johnson who asked Bolon to "come clean" on what she knew about the leaking of the document.
Bolon had referred newspaper inquiries to the Ohio House Democratic Caucus.
Johnson said it appeared someone was trying to use the information to influence the election.
He wanted to know what Bolon knew, when she knew it, who contacted her about the report, whether anyone at the Salem Police Department or Salem deputy service safety director Greg Oesch was involved in her campaign, when she first talked to the Ohio Democratic Caucus about the story and whether she or anyone in the Democratic Caucus forwarded the information to a local news reporter.
He also asked if she would take a lie detector test.
Johnson said, "Caroline Hergenrother broke no law, did nothing wrong and was victimized by four individuals."
"I don't want this kind of cloud hanging over the department," Floor said last month.
If the guilty party is one of his personnel, he said it would be considered a major infraction punishable by suspension or possible termination.
If it's someone outside his department, he said there will be a conversation between the city law director and the county Prosecutor's office on whether the release of information was of a criminal nature.
"I just want to find out who's responsible and make sure they answer for it," he said.
County Prosecutor Robert Herron was unavailable for comment.
Larry Shields can be reached at lshields@salemnews.net
