As a resident of Dayton, Ohio, (55 miles north of Cincinnati) I became aware of P.G. Sittenfeld ’07 not long after he was elected to the Cincinnati City Council. Noting that he is a fellow alumnus, I followed his rising political star with interest, especially because everything I read about him suggested that he was in politics for all the right reasons. Sure, power, prestige, and personal ambition were factors as they always are in the political arena, but when I read about the programs that he championed and supported it was clear that he truly had the best interests of Cincinnati and all of its citizens at heart. When he ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate in the Democratic primary in 2016, I voted for him.

That being the case, I was very disappointed to learn about his indictment and subsequent conviction on two of the six charges against him. “Corruption” is such an ugly word, and I have a basic faith in our justice system.

This article helped me understand the circumstances surrounding this case and it saddens me greatly that such a talented and well-intentioned young man and his family were so unfairly treated by the authorities. I understand and agree that undercover “sting” operations are necessary in many circumstances to gather evidence against criminals, but this case is clearly a case of law enforcement and prosecutorial overreach.

P.G. is remarkable in many ways, not least in his positive attitude about the lessons of this horrific experience. I wish him well in his future endeavors as a writer and I have every confidence that he will succeed. That said, I remain very disappointed that the citizens of southwest Ohio, our entire state, and possibly the nation have lost a very capable and well-intentioned young politician. In these troubled times, we need more leaders like P.G. Sittenfeld.

D. Verne Morland ’74
Dayton, Ohio