Jim Woods

The Columbus Dispatch

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Two Columbus police officers have been fired and two supervisors disciplined in connection with their handling of the July 2018 arrest of adult film performer Stormy Daniels at a local strip club.

Columbus Public Safety Director Ned Pettus signed orders Thursday to fire former vice unit Officers Steven Rosser, 43, a 19-year veteran, and Whitney Lancaster, 57, a member of the division for 32 years.

In addition, Lt. Ronald Kimmerling, 51, a 24-year veteran, was suspended for six weeks, and Sgt. Scott Soha, 43, who has been with the division for 17 years, received a three-week suspension, according to findings signed by Pettus. The suspensions were over their lack of supervision of the vice operation involving Daniels.

All four say they intend to appeal their discipline to an arbitrator, said Keith Ferrell, president of Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge No. 9, the union that represents them.

“We do not think the discipline is warranted to that level,” Ferrell told The Dispatch. The process of arbitration can take months.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, had received a payment of $130,000 from Donald Trump’s personal attorney at the time, Michael Cohen, prior to the November 2016 presidential election to stay quiet about a sexual liaison she claimed she had with Trump a decade earlier.

March 2019:Stormy Daniels arrest not motivated by politics but still improper, investigation finds

Watch:Stormy Daniels arrested at strip club, attorney says

On July 11, 2018, Daniels performed at the Sirens Gentleman’s Club, and the Columbus police vice unit was there. She and two club employees were arrested under an Ohio law covering touching by patrons.

Her arrest was a national story. Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein dropped the charges within hours because the law requires that the defendant be a regular performer who had touched patrons rather than undercover officers.

The case put a spotlight on the troubled vice unit of Columbus police. Six weeks later, on Aug. 23, 2018, Vice Unit Officer Andrew Mitchell shot and killed Donna Castleberry during what police say was an undercover operation. Mitchell was indicted on a murder charge.

Mitchell also is under federal indictment, accused of forcing two other women into sexual conduct before he would free them after having arrested them.

In March 2019, then-interim Police Chief Thomas Quinlan disbanded the vice unit. The Columbus City Council in November approved a settlement of $450,000 with Daniels, who had filed a federal lawsuit alleging false arrest.

Rosser and Lancaster had been assigned to desk duty in late 2018. They were under federal investigation for their activities in the vice unit; no charges have been filed against them.

Quinlan recommended their dismissals, and Pettus rendered his decision Thursday.

The main reason cited for the dismissals of Rosser and Lancaster is that their handling of the arrest of Daniels “deviated significantly” from investigations at strip clubs. Another finding was that Rosser made false statements to internal investigators that an investigation at the Sirens club involved an underage dancer.

Follow Jim Woods on Twitter: @Woodsnight