Cleve Councilman Charged - Lakewood Next?

[Bridget Conant]

Cleve councilman charged with ethic violations for voting on contracts awarded to wife’s firm:

http://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/ ... ncart_2box

I see many similarities with Lakewood council, the mayor, LHA Trustees, and former mayor Ed Fitzgerald, all involved on so many levels in the hospital/CCF/Carnegie deal.

Will we some day see similar indictments?

[Dan Alaimo]

"I accept full responsibility for my actions and I apologize to anyone who was impacted by this," he wrote. "I look forward to having this investigation and legal process complete."

What kind of politician is this guy? They don't say that kind of thing in Lakewood.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Cleve councilman charged with ethic violations for voting on contracts awarded to wife’s firm:

http://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/ ... ncart_2box

I see many similarities with Lakewood council, the mayor, LHA Trustees, and former mayor Ed Fitzgerald, all involved on so many levels in the hospital/CCF/Carnegie deal.

Will we some day see similar indictments?

Bridget

If you look some of that goes back to 2002. The wheels of justice are slow.

Dan

Joe Cimperman had many good points, and fought for residents. Obviously he made some mistakes, but at least he owns up to them.

.

[Bridget Conant]

Here’s an account of PD coverage of Cimperman voting on legislation and contracts benefitting his wife’s firm. As you’ll note, the PD began questioning his actions back in 2013.

Close to 5 years before indictment.

Yes, the wheels of justice turn slowly, but they grind exceedingly hard.

I expect a day of reckoning in Lakewood.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/articles.c ... _ethic.amp

[Michael Deneen]

Joe Cimperman had many good points, and fought for residents. Obviously he made some mistakes, but at least he owns up to them.

He's just another crooked politician -- he only repents because he got caught.
Let's all remember....in 2008 Cimperman was The Establishment's hand-picked choice to run against Dennis Kucinich for the US Congress.
Cimperman was the "Endorsed Democrat" in that race.

[cmager]

The wheels of justice turn differently for Cimperman and his wife than they do for the Mayor and the Clinic.

[Bridget Conant]

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ss ... rt_m-rpt-1

Same issue - voting on legislation while a board member. Is this any different than Lakewood council members who were also LHA board members voting on contracts involving LHA?

[Bridget Conant]

http://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/ ... _on_1.html

Important quotes:

Stephanie Anderson, a public integrity lawyer in the auditor's office that served as special prosecutor in the case, told reporters after the hearing that the fact that none of Cimperman's fellow council members raised concerns over his votes was "problematic."

"It was a pervasive system," Anderson said.

Cimperman did not get tangible payments for his votes, but she cited the salary of wife, Nora Romanoff, which went from $52,000 in 2006 to $125,000 in 2016 due to what then-LAND Studio executive director Ann Zoller said was "the body" of Romanoff's work.

When the game is already laid out, when the result is already predetermined and when City Council goes in with a completely unanimous vote on 26 separate occasions awarding the contracts to the very company that Mr. Cimperman's wife works for, that's certainly not fair play and it's a deterrent to innovation in city of Cleveland," she said.

Lakewood Council take note.