This post is a bit different- the first of the Tattler edition looks at a pattern of power behaving badly. From Clerk of Courts Mike Foley allegedly violating probation in plain sight, to Judge David Brannon’s re-election bid amid mounting criticism, to a Democratic Party leadership that seems incapable of self-correction, the throughline is institutional impunity. I also explain why I am consulting counsel about a potential federal civil-rights action under Section 1983, drawing on my own history of challenging government abuse and forcing accountability when local systems fail.

One minute in Dayton. Minutes longer in Bondi. Different weapons. Different laws. Different outcomes. From Ohio loosening gun regulations after a mass shooting, to elite figures avoiding consequences, to a $7 million jail-death settlement with no criminal charges, this post examines how American institutions repeatedly protect bad outcomes while insisting nothing is wrong.

The Dayton Daily News just eliminated its Community Impact Editor, the last link between the paper and the community it claims to serve. In a county with fragmented government and growing corruption risks, losing another watchdog is not a staffing change. It is a civic failure. Local journalism should be a public utility, not an afterthought.

A second plea deal erased felony charges against Clerk of Courts Mike Foley and avoided mandatory removal from office. With quo warranto gutted and no appeal permitted, only the Ohio Supreme Court can stop a dangerous new blueprint for political corruption in Ohio.

Montgomery County’s corruption machine delivered its final blow: Foley’s felonies vanished, a quiet misdemeanor deal was cut, and the public never saw the evidence.