Butler Made a Bad Decision To Waste $125K to Defend Summers ---He Could Have Served Taxpayers And Saved the City $120M+

[Brian Essi]

In April, 2015, Butler made a strategic mistake in not siding with the taxpayers and instead trying to defend Summers' corrupt conduct.

Mr. Butler has now spent over $125K in taxpayer money and a substantial amount of his professional time over the past year trying to convince the court that a taxpayer lawsuit should be dismissed because Summers is not corrupt.

So far he has failed to convince the court that Summers is not corrupt

Is Butler wrong about the case being "frivolous"?

The evidence of Summers' corruption is overwhelming.

Can the city recover the wasted taxpayer money due to Butler's poor decision?

If Butler had decided to side with the taxpayers, we might still have a hospital and $120M or so in compensation to improve it----Summers and CCF caused significant damage to the 100 year old institution.

Why didn't Butler side with the citizens?

[Dan Alaimo]

Brian,
My understanding is that if the citizens prevail in the lawsuit, a substantial portion of the money goes to the City. In other words they are spending hundreds and thousands to fight a lawsuit that could bring them hundreds of millions. I've confirmed this with one the SLH leaders, as well as at last Sunday's meeting, but I still feel like I'm missing something. It seems crazy - crazy like closing the City's hospital, which is also it's biggest employer. What is your take on this?

[Lori Allen _]

You would not believe all of the people from the Cuyahoga County Courts that live in Lakewood. At least four judges, about ten prosecutors (although a few of these have suddenly fled Lakewood) and now Darren Toms. Darren is the husband of Missy Toms, an avid BuildLakewood supporter and friend of Summers. He was suddenly hired to be one of the top people in the "communications and outreach" department of the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. Is it possible that he sees a lot of stuff that goes in and out of that court, much like MLM probably sees almost everything that goes in and out of the county administrative offices?

I really do not believe a fair trial will be had in this county, when you look at the alleged cronyism and "good old boy" network that exists between Summers, Budish, and the courts.

Just a thought.

[Dan Alaimo]

I had always heard very good things about John O'Donnell, but now that he is running for Supreme Court, I have reservations. He will need to raise campaign funds from big donors, like CCF, and it will be hard for him to avoid at least the appearance of a conflict of interest.

Whether it is a good idea to elect such judges is another, much bigger question

[Stan Austin]

Dan-- I have gotten to know John on an informal level at the Y being part of an early morning group of grumblers trying to work out and achieve our own personal goals.

That having been said, I think Jack is a hardworking, straightforward guy. Outside of the Y, I look at his work from an academic viewpoint. His logic and presentation in the Brelo case was PHD dissertation quality. (Even I understood it!)

He has put himself into the public arena and deserves respectful consideration.

I'm gonna vote for him.

Stan Austin

[Dan Alaimo]

Dan-- I have gotten to know John on an informal level at the Y being part of an early morning group of grumblers trying to work out and achieve our own personal goals.

That having been said, I think Jack is a hardworking, straightforward guy. Outside of the Y, I look at his work from an academic viewpoint. His logic and presentation in the Brelo case was PHD dissertation quality. (Even I understood it!)

He has put himself into the public arena and deserves respectful consideration.

I'm gonna vote for him.

Stan Austin

Stan,
That's what I've heard about him and, until now, have disagreed with Lori's concerns about the SLH suit. However, now it's a question of campaign contributions. If he would forswear CCF as a potential donor, I'd take him at his word. If not, there's a potential conflict.

And I'd probably vote for him in any case - he's apparently a very good judge.

Looking at the big picture, a system where judges have to raise funds to campaign is not a good one.

[Lori Allen _]

I am not trying to sway anyone to vote one way or another, but it might be worth looking at these links before going to the polls:

Some quotes from this link:

A criminal complaint against Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge John O'Donnell and county sheriff Bob Reid has been lodged with the University Hts police of alleged foreclosure and mortgage fraud. Both are accused of illegally reducing foreclosure home values for ghost mortgage companies and Democratic and Republican Party affiliates to buy. They are also accused of illegally using ghost and non-existing mortgage companies like Chase Home Mortgage to illegally foreclose on the homes of Blacks in Cuyahoga County knowing that only the new or current mortgage note holder, or essentially the mortgage company or bank that receives the monthly house note, has the only standing to foreclose by law.

O'Donnell has allegedly said that he can do as he pleases in breaking the law and harassing Blacks subject to foreclosure because he is an influential White male Democrat who allegedly "has county prosecutor Bill Mason and the Cleveland FBI wrapped around his fingers."

O'Donnell, say activists, is corrupt and hates Black people and thinks he is above the law because he is White, male, and a member of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party. To date some 50 party affiliates have pleaded guilty to corruption related charges via an ongoing FBI investigation.

Data show that O'Donnell and other judges of the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, with Reid's help, are deflating foreclosure home sales values by as much as 70 to 80 percent, taking a home for instance that the county auditor's office appraised just last year for property taxes purposes for $120 thousand that sales for $140 thousand and handing these type of reduced homes to friends of the Democratic and Republican parties, or back to the mortgage company at a ridiculous and illegal sale price of $36 thousand.

These are just some highlights from the article. You should really read the whole thing. Come to your own conclusions. Also Google "Judge John O'Donnell foreclosure fraud" and many more articles will come up.

I should see if I can get in touch with this article's author (assuming she is still alive, hint hint).

[Bridget Conant]

Umm, she's in jail.

[Dan Alaimo]

I don't see the link.

[T Peppard]

If Butler had decided to side with the taxpayers, we might still have a hospital and $120M or so in compensation to improve it----Summers and CCF caused significant damage to the 100 year old institution.

Why didn't Butler side with the citizens?

It's a disgrace, Mr. Essi. It is the most greed driven act I have ever encountered in my lifetime. I am shocked that anyone could accept this without questioning the actions of Director Butler and the other leaders.

I so greatly appreciate your research and earnest efforts to inform the people of the truth. You instill my faith that there is inherent good out there. I don't know where we would be without you and the other leaders speaking out on this issue. You speak for the poor and underserved. They spoke for a corporation. ...A law suit of $125k to remedy a $120M+ loss makes sense to me. Director Butler most certainly should have stood up to protect us.

[Brian Essi]

Brian,
My understanding is that if the citizens prevail in the lawsuit, a substantial portion of the money goes to the City. In other words they are spending hundreds and thousands to fight a lawsuit that could bring them hundreds of millions. I've confirmed this with one the SLH leaders, as well as at last Sunday's meeting, but I still feel like I'm missing something. It seems crazy - crazy like closing the City's hospital, which is also it's biggest employer. What is your take on this?

Dan,

I haven't attended the SLH meetings you have so I'm not sure what their take on the lawsuit.

There is still much missing due to the misinformation and disinformation coming from City Hall, CCF and their operatives.

My take purely as a citizen is that if Judge O'Donnell rules that the plaintiff's have standing, the case may be hard to dismiss short of a trial.

That would normally promote settlement discussions, but Summers and Butler don't seem to understand compromise.

It does seem "crazy" how they are behaving-- the decisions they have made just don't make sense.

[Dan Alaimo]

Because of timing and commitments, my attendance at the SLH meetings has been spotty of late. I went to one a couple of weeks ago and asked where the lawsuit money goes if they win, and they said back to the City. I would imagine it would be specified for hospital use, but that wasn't clear. Many of them are here, no doubt reading this within minutes after I write it, and I ask them to please clarify.

Mike Summers' resistance to compromise is apparently legendary. Back when basketball was the issue du jour I asked someone who has known him well for almost a lifetime - and there are many such people around town - if he ever compromises. The answer was, "never." "Never?" I responded a little incredulously. "No I was wrong about that. Never, ever." That's a big part of the reason we are in the mess we are in, and I suspect it's part of the "crazy" in trying to understand why they did it.

Corruption, as in money, very unlikely.

Stubbornness, for sure.

[Brian Essi]

Corruption, as in money, very unlikely.

Not sure why you say "unlikely"? After all, they are lying about the money.

[Bridget Conant]

The question of money isn't what individual "pockets" the money, it's who "controls" the money. That's as valuable as having it put in your own pocket.

The foundation money will be able to be distributed as the new "board" wishes. Since we don't have any idea who will be on that board, nor do we know its mission and rules, it's anyone's guess as to where the millions will be directed.

As Bill Call has pointed out time and again, it appears that the money, formerly dedicated to Lakewood causes, will now be accessible to those outside the city.

That is quite concerning. Especially considering its MILLIONS of dollars. You're pretty powerful if you can control the handouts.

[Lori Allen _]

Bridget, I believed they all probably framed her on bogus charges! I think the writer was black. From what I have read, Judge O'Donnell appears to not like black people.