* January 28 inquiry to Review Evidence of Criminal Activities by Senior Assistant Ohio Attorney General Dan Kasaris and recently fired federal prosecutor Mark Bennett
* Prosecutor Dan Kasaris calls filing “frivolous” and seeks Sanctions
* First Amendment claims at issue after Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Office threatened journalists and bloggers with prosecution and imprisonment
 

Following threats to imprison journalists and bloggers, a First Amendment suit was filed against Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Senior Assistant Ohio Attorney General Daniel Kasaris, Viola v. Yost, et. al., Case No. 2:21-cv-3088, S.D. Ohio.  During the litigation, documents obtained from the Department of Justice and the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office evidenced a well-orchestrated campaign by Kasaris to imprison Tony Viola and others, based on statements made on Blogs and in the news media detailing Kasaris’ sexual relationship with government Kathryn Clover, and his own cousin, Kelly Connors.

Viola alleged an unconstitutional abridgment of free speech, and that all claims made concerning the affair between Kasaris and government witness Kathryn Clover are true, as are claims that Kasaris directed his Office Manager Dawn Pasela to record a series of post-indictment conversations with Viola to gain insight into defense’s trial preparation, then threatened Ms. Pasela with prosecution after she offered to testify about misconduct committed by Kasaris.   Ms. Pasela did not appear in court and was found dead in her apartment by her Father shortly after her scheduled testimony.

Kasaris has not denied the allegations but asked the court to order Viola “to cease using photos of the Kasaris family” (motion for sanctions at p. 3).  Kasaris also objected to the publication of his wife Susan’s Facebook posts concerning his marital infidelities, porn addiction and abusive behavior, while also asking the Court to stop Viola, who “mailed post cards to an unknown but believed to be a large number of people” Kasaris motion at page. 6.  (To view the postcards, please visit www.FreeTonyViola.com October 2, 2021 Blog). 

Kasaris posed for photos with his girlfriend, Ms. Connors, who send them to Viola or posted them on social media, while Kasaris’ wife Susan’s Facebook messages were provided by Kasaris sister in law Kelly Patrick.  Viola argues there can be no expectation of family privacy by a politician, especially when Kasaris’ own wife and other family members are on Facebook discussing Kasaris’ porn addiction, alcoholism and serial marital infidelities.  Moreover, Kasaris has served in elective office and recently sought election to the North Royalton city council, and Kasaris himself posed for or posted the photographs in question on social media.  Perhaps more significantly, at no time does Kasaris deny he had an affair with Kathryn Clover, nor does he deny that he ordered Dawn Pasela to intrude into the Plaintiff’s Sixth Amendment right to counsel.  Moreover, many of the documents posted in the FreeTonyViola.com Evidence Locker are emails written by Kasaris himself that he sent to Clover discussing “hand jobs” and “banging in the car” and “massages.”  These communications were produced by the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor or parties to Kasaris communications, and posted on line.

Hon. Algenon L. Marbley, Chief United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio ordered the hearing, which will begin at 3:00 PM, Eastern Time, January 28th, in Courtroom 1 of the the Joseph P. Kinneary U.S. Courthouse, 85 Marconi Boulevard, Columbus, Ohio 43215.  Judge Marbley’s order also states that “Counsel should be prepared to answer questions raised by the Court.”

Kasaris requested the Court sanction Viola for filing what he called frivolous litigation, Viola countered that the court should make a criminal referral to the Department of Justice, asking the US Attorney in the Southern District of Ohio to investigate criminal activities of Kasaris and his colleague Mark Bennett, which are supported by evidence presented to the Court in this case and detailed in the blog post below!