uh oh

After Months of Press Probes, Ohio Governor to Face Charges

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Gov. Bob Taft, who pushed for high ethical standards in his office, will face four criminal misdemeanor charges for not reporting golf outings and other events paid for by others. The charges are the latest development in a growing scandal -- spurred in part by newspaper reports -- that has rocked Ohio's Republican Party.Taft, a member of a distinguished U.S. political family, would be the first governor in Ohio history to be charged with a crime. If convicted, he could be fined $1,000 and sentenced to six months in jail on each count, though time behind bars was considered unlikely.Prosecutor Ron O'Brien said the charges relate to annual financial disclosure statements Taft filed from 2002 to 2005. Prosecutors said they had met with Taft's lawyer and expected the governor to appear in court Thursday..........