Former Ohio Attorney General/Auditor Betty Montgomery was approached twice by the Kasich Administration to serve as the Director of Public Safety, but was turned down both times.
We’ve since learned that Ms. Montgomery will also be named to the Ohio Casino Commission and have reason to believe that she has, this time, accepted the Governor’s appointment.
Meanwhile former Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro is moving back into State Government, too. The Kasich Administration is going to appoint Petro to be the next Chancellor of the Board of Regents to replace current Chancellor/former Congressman Eric Fingerhut.
Petro is a rather curious pick given he hasn’t actually made a name for himself on university policies like Fingerhut, who despite being a Strickland appointee, has been widely regarded as one of the most reform-minded, successful Chancellors in Ohio history.
With the nomination of Petro and Montgomery, you almost have to feel bad for Ken Blackwell and Jeanette Bradley. They seem to be the only Republicans still out of State government who used to serve in statewide office in the 1990s-2000s, who DON’T have a position in the Kasich Administration. How odd.
