SummersGate 7:Police Investigation Forces Summers' Hand/Resignation of Summers' Campaign Mouthpiece With Criminal Past

[Brian Essi]

Last year during the political season, Summers hired Rick Uldricks to help him on his re-election campaign.

Public records establish that shortly thereafter, Summers personally interviewed and hired Uldricks for a city job for which he had no prior experience.

See Uldricks' Application initialed by Summers:

Summers Approves Uldricks Employment Application.pdf

(1.68 MiB) Downloaded 166 times

The Lakewood Police Investigation records show:

1. Uldricks admitted mailing anonymous postcards to two Lakewood residents (who were outspoke critics of Summers).

2. Uldricks admitted using city computers for the Lakewood Citizen work --(The Lakewood Citizen posted only favorable stories about Summers and unfavorable posts about Summers' challenger, Sen,. Mike Skindell and other Summers critics).

3. Uldricks had multiple prior criminal convictions--one conviction a Police detective said was similar to the postcards he sent to Summers' political critics.

The Police Investigation forced Summers and his Administration to issue a disciplinary letter to Uldricks citing:

1. "Falsification" of his application-"[Uldrrcks' initial denial of any criminal history and later failure to disclose [his] entire criminal history are evidence of dishonesty and misrepresentations].

2. "Postcards to two residents which were meant to be intimidating in nature."

3. "Misuse of city computers. You utilized the city computer for personal reasons to conduct functions on your personal website."

So Uldricks resigned before he could be fired.

[Lori Allen _]

On the application, Ian Andrews is listed as a reference. I was told straight from a member of LakewoodAlive that the salary of Ian Andrews is paid by the Cleveland Clinic. Is it possible that LakewoodAlive is an economic development arm of the Cleveland Clinic?

[Bridget Conant]

Do you know what his role was in Summers' campaign?

[Brian Essi]

Do you know what his role was in Summers' campaign?

I have a document that suggests he ran the Summers website.

[Bridget Conant]

Ran the mayor's re-election web site then offered city employment? Interesting.

Also note that city hall has repeatedly, and seemingly calculatedly, hired local media players - Uldricks runs the Lakewood Citizen, McEwen was at the Patch, and Steve Fitzgerald from the Lakewood Buzz was tapped as some sort of community advisor.

Pretty convenient having almost all of the local news media types "connected" to the city.

Makes it all the more compelling that the Observer is being targeted.

We will have NO open news and discussion in this town if certain people see their plan through.

[Jim O'Bryan]

On the application, Ian Andrews is listed as a reference. I was told straight from a member of LakewoodAlive that the salary of Ian Andrews is paid by the Cleveland Clinic. Is it possible that LakewoodAlive is an economic development arm of the Cleveland Clinic?

Lori

I believe that is not a true characterization.

Also I am willing to bet that all cities with CCF untis gets money from CCF. When we did a story about non-profit/for profit we discovered CCF was paying about $500,000 more to the city then they would have paying taxes. Of course they spent money on things that benefited them.

I would say if you want to see conflicts here, LakewoodAlive V1, Mary Ann Crampton, Jay Foran, Brian Powers, Shannan Strachan, etc., and where they sit in this "new deal," should put people back on their heels. How for years they would work to convince us to support DowntowN and Lakewood Hospital for our future, all be on the inside of it closing, should make us all go hmmmmmmmmmmm.

.

[Lori Allen _]

Regardless, look at the board members of LakewoodAlive. A lot of them appear to be the same players: Eric Lowery, Patty Ryan, Cindy Einhouse, David Stein, Tom Fraser, Jim Hekman (CCF doctor), Jeff Patterson, and Julie Warren to name some. Also note the non-voting members: David Anderson and Michael P. Summers. They are not all bad people, but they do appear to be part of Summers' extended company.

[Brian Essi]

Ran the mayor's re-election web site then offered city employment? Interesting.

And then used city computers--likely to promote Summers' agenda through the Lakewood Citizen (a Summers Sock Puppet Rag).

Recall there was mention of Mike Skindell on the city computer log of Uldricks. So did Summers allow Uldricks to run a political smear campaign from City Hall while on the payroll during the election campaign?

Very cozy arrangement---until the guy with the criminal past became the subject of a Lakewood Police Investigation because of content "meant to be intimidating" to Summers' political critics.

And the Lakewood Police broke up the Summers party at taxpayers expense.

[Bridget Conant]

And the Lakewood Police broke up the Summers party at taxpayers expense.

Good point. How many hours did the police detectives invest in this investigation and how much did that cost the city?

Maybe Tom Bullock can grandstand on this one, just like he did on the lawsuit, and let us all know how much it cost the city and how he plans to bill it back to the perpetrator.

It's only fair, right?

[Kevin D Young]

When will Uldricks be prosecuted? When will he stand before a judge?

[Bridget Conant]

When will he stand before a judge?

"The wheels of just grind slowly, but exceedingly fine."

Judgment Day is coming.