Ohio Prosecutor Accused Of Harassing Female Employees

SANDUSKY, OH — State officials are trying to remove Sandusky County Prosecutor Tim Braun over accusations of sexual misconduct toward female employees. A complaint filed by the state accuses Braun of "willful and flagrant transgressions" as prosecutor.

The complaint, filed by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, says, "Almost from the beginning [of his tenure in office], Braun engaged in a pattern of physical and psychological abuse, fear and intimidation of female subordinates for his own personal, prurient interests."

Specifically, the complaint accuses Braun of inappropriately touching, rubbing and groping female employees. On Dec. 6, 2019, Braun pleaded guilty to one count of negligent assault, stemming from improper contact in the workplace.

The complaint filed by Yost also accuses Braun of seizing his employees' private cell phone records, telling employees he wanted to have sex with them, musing about their private sex lives, and threatening to prosecute them if they "crossed" him.

When one of his employees resigned in protest, the complaint says, Braun opened a "dubious" criminal investigation into missing personnel files and seized the woman's cell phone records.

One of Braun's employees then filed a negligent assault case against him, which Braun pleaded guilty to in early December.

The complaint requests Braun's immediate suspension pending a hearing for his removal. Yost first called for Braun's resignation in late October 2019.

"No victim of sexual assault, no victim of workplace harassment, could believe she would be treated fairly in an office he oversees," Yost said in a statement issued at the time.

The full complaint against Braun has been shared online.