Rick Rouan The Columbus Dispatch @RickRouan

A Columbus City Council candidate who was convicted on a felony theft charge in 2013 has dropped out of the race.

Kathryn Hille, 31, had replaced former state Rep. Marian Harris on the ballot after Harris dropped out in February. Like Harris, Hille had the endorsement of Yes We Can, a local group that has taken root in the Franklin County Democratic Party and is seeking to topple party-backed incumbents.

But Yes We Can rescinded that endorsement last week and noted in a news release on its website that Hille intended to remove herself from the ballot in the nonpartisan primary on May 2. 

Hille withdrew from the race in an email to the Franklin County Board of Elections just after 4 p.m. Tuesday. But Franklin County elections director Ed Leonard said it is too late to take her name off the ballot. Instead, a note will be placed on voting machines saying that votes for Hille will not be counted. That leaves 10 candidates in the primary seeking six spots on the general election ballot. Hille could not be reached for comment.

“The team charged with vetting Ms. Hille failed to do a thorough enough investigation, and we sincerely apologize to all of our supporters,” Yes We Can wrote on its website.

The note doesn’t specify what turned up in its investigation, but says new information was revealed that “compromises her ability to hold an elected position that requires the highest extent of public trust.”

Franklin County Common Pleas Court records show that Hille pleaded guilty in 2013 to a theft charge. Her six-month prison sentence was suspended, according to court records, and Hille was ordered to pay more than $30,000 in restitution.

rrouan@dispatch.com

@RickRouan