No One Told Me How Much I'd Miss My Dog When I Was in Prison

"After I was indicted in late 2020 and my political career fell apart almost instantly, I spent most of my time at home. I'd been Cincinnati's youngest councilman for nearly a decadea favorite for its next mayorwhen public corruption charges were brought against me, stemming from a movie-like FBI sting. The allegation was that I accepted campaign donations from undercover agents posing as investors on a downtown redevelopment project in exchange for favorable official action. There was zero accusation of personal embezzlement."

"While fighting the case against me initiated a difficult, disorienting, and scary stretch of life, there was a silver lining: I got to spend a lot more time with my family and our dog, Oakley. Oakley is a 30-pound rescue with white fur and brown splotches. My wife, Sarah, and I impulsively adopted her nine years ago and named her after the Cincinnati neighborhood where we met on a blind date."

"We've always believed that Oakley is part Australian Shepherd, part Brittany Spaniel, though we've never done genetic testing. She's shy, except around our immediate family, and has a tendency to groom herself like a cat. In the years we've had Oakley, she's barked only about ten times total. When she cocks her head and flashes her puppy eyes, it melts my heart."

An indictment in late 2020 brought public corruption charges and abruptly derailed a promising Cincinnati political career. The allegation claimed acceptance of campaign donations from undercover agents posing as investors on a downtown redevelopment project in exchange for favorable official action, with no accusation of personal embezzlement. The accused proclaimed innocence and faced a difficult, disorienting legal period. A positive outcome was increased time with family and a rescue dog, Oakley, a 30-pound white-and-brown mix adopted nine years earlier, believed to be part Australian Shepherd and Brittany Spaniel, shy but affectionate and a calming presence during trial preparation.

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