"Citizen-Led" Panel Chooses Developers for Hospital Site

[Bridget Conant]

Mayor Summers receiving campaign donations from an out of town donor, who happens to be a developer, who happens to have been chosen as a finalist in a city project....gives the appearance of unethical behavior.

Lakewood's current administration has trouble understanding that government officials should strive to avoid even the appearance of misconduct or conflict of interest. It's as if they just don't care.

Many cities across the country are scrutinizing developers' contributions to local officials and considering bans on these contributions. For example:

https://www.google.com/amp/www.latimes. ... y,amp.html

Real estate developers have long been a pivotal part of political fundraising at Los Angeles City Hall, bankrolling the campaigns of mayors, City Council members and other elected officials.

That phenomenon has fueled persistent suspicions that campaign contributions — not established planning rules — influence the votes of local lawmakers as they approve shopping malls, hotel towers and other building projects.

BTW, Khouri is a registered Republican. Why donate to a supposed Democrat in another city unless there was a strategic reason to do so?

[Lori Allen _]

Mayor Summers receiving campaign donations from an out of town donor, who happens to be a developer, who happens to have been chosen as a finalist in a city project....gives the appearance of unethical behavior.

Lakewood's current administration has trouble understanding that government officials should strive to avoid even the appearance of misconduct or conflict of interest. It's as if they just don't care.

Many cities across the country are scrutinizing developers' contributions to local officials and considering bans on these contributions. For example:

https://www.google.com/amp/www.latimes. ... y,amp.html

Real estate developers have long been a pivotal part of political fundraising at Los Angeles City Hall, bankrolling the campaigns of mayors, City Council members and other elected officials.

That phenomenon has fueled persistent suspicions that campaign contributions — not established planning rules — influence the votes of local lawmakers as they approve shopping malls, hotel towers and other building projects.

BTW, Khouri is a registered Republican. Why donate to a supposed Democrat in another city unless there was a strategic reason to do so?

Bridget,

Thank you. This is not the first time Mr. Summers' campaign donations have been exposed. Therefore, he must know that this is being watched. You seem to be correct in your analysis they they just don't seem to care. Indeed, this is a highly brazen move.

You also mention two other very good points. First, the fact that Khouri does not even live in Lakewood or even in the county. In my opinion, this leaves only two reasonable conclusions, that Mr. Khouri is either a friend of Mr. Summers and/or City Hall, or perhaps has something to gain from donating. You also mention Khouri is a Republican and Summers is registered Democrat. Although Lakewood's elections are non-partisan, it does add interest to this already tangled web.

Perhaps someone should request records for "all e-mails between Mr. Summers and Rustom Khouri and/or any of his company's employees or representatives." If Mr. Butler decides not to hold them hostage, the contents of those e-mails (if they exist) should be very interesting. Then again, if Mr. Butler does decide to hold them hostage, that is even more telling and says more about Mr. Summers than anyone else, in my opinion.

[cmager]

Summers is a DINO. And money knows no party affiliation.

[Kate McCarthy]

Summers is a DINO. And money knows no party affiliation.

Summer's campaign manager was Lynn Foran ... as Republican as you can get.

[Lori Allen _]

Folks,

With this latest revelation, I believe it is more important now than ever to demand that the City of Lakewood create a binding, detailed ethics policy relating to contractors and other vendors doing city work. As I have stated before, this appears to be a pattern of repeated conduct by Mr. Summers and/or City Hall. Numerous examples of this have been documented on various threads on the Deck.

Not only does a binding, detailed ethics policy regarding contractors, developers, etc. need to be created, but how about a basic policy mandating that the City of Lakewood complete thorough background checks on those doing city work. Without thread-drifting too much, one example is how Cuyahoga County and City Hall hired, apparently according to public records, crack dealers, armed robbers, and in general violent, repeat felons to do demolition work in Lakewood?

How will we know the developers that may do work on the hospital site are not crack dealers, armed robbers, or repeat, violent felons?

In other cities, a mayor that apparently had such deep conflicts of interest, especially with such significant development deals would have citizens running him out of town. It appears not so in Lakewood. Why?

Also be reminded that there is pending litigation regarding this matter, although I have been unable to get a straight answer from Judge John P. O'Donnell's office as to why the litigation has been stalled. Should I chalk it up to another, un-explained "extended leave of absence?"