Ohio Republican deputy chair Kevin DeWine said that Gov. Ted Strickland (D-Lisbon) needs to take another look at his hiring practices after Industrial Commission executive director Patrick J. Gannon was demoted, as reported by the Columbus Dispatch.

"We can't even go a month without another Democrat being forced from office under a cloud of controversy or outright scandal," DeWine said. "The worst part is that all this is coming from a governor who promised a higher standard in Columbus."

The Industrial Commission serves injured workers and Ohio employers through the resolution of workers' compensation claims and through the establishment of adjudication policy, according to its Web site.

Gannon was appointed by Strickland a year ago as executive director in a move designed to take away Republican control of the organization. The Dispatch reported that, during Gannon's tenure, union grievances have risen and employees have complained of retaliation and abusive practices.

Ohio Republicans pointed out that this comes weeks after the director of Strickland's liquor control agency was fired from his $91,000-a-year job amid a "series of concerns" about his performance. 

The Republican release says the director reportedly failed to show up for important hearings and according to other administrators was not qualified for the job.

The release provides a list of recent Democratic flaps that include the resignation of former Attorney General Marc Dann; the resignation of state Rep. Matthew Barrett (D-Amherst) in April, after Barrett accidentally showed a naked picture of a constituent to high school students; the Ohio Democratic Party secretary and Cuyahoga County Recorder Patrick O'Malley's resignation after pleading guilty to federal obscenity charges; Lorain City Councilman Dennis Flores' arrest for solicitation of prostitution; and Ohio Senate Minority Leader Ray Miller's troubles in regards to finance reporting.