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 decade—a favorite for its next mayor—when 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. I immediately proclaimed my innocence.

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 wit