The Observation Deck

Public records produced after 4 months of concealment show a clear cover-up by City Hall-- and not surprisingly, false statements by Bullock.

Attached are just 115 pages of records---they are still incomplete--more are being hidden (see email chain below).

http://media.lakewoodobserver.com/media ... 329599.pdf

For example, a key document generated at Bullock's direction was later doctored and given to the tabloid downtown--a political smear job by nasty public officials!

Here is the document:

http://media.lakewoodobserver.com/media ... 329633.pdf

Parties outside the City had input before the "Report" was final--example LHF.

It is now clear that Huron was used for political purposes and not to inform the public.

The documents show that Bullock used Huron, the supposed "independent" consultant for the City--but he worked the agenda of LHA/CCF/LHF--as well as for the Summers campaign.

So after nearly 5 months, City Hall is still hiding the truth about how the flimsy Huron "Report" was manufactured.

The "fig leaf" hiding City Hall's hidden underbelly is getting smaller and smaller.

The sunshine is coming upon naked truth--stay tuned for more....



---- Forwarded Message -----
From: Brian Essi <bjessi@sbcglobal.net>
To: "Butler, Kevin" <Kevin.Butler@lakewoodoh.net>; "Bullock, Tom" <Tom.Bullock@lakewoodoh.net>
Cc: "Summers, Mike" <Mike.Summers@lakewoodoh.net>; "Hagan, Mary" <Mary.Hagan@lakewoodoh.net>; "O'Leary, Sam" <Sam.OLeary@lakewoodoh.net>; "Anderson, David" <David.Anderson@lakewoodoh.net>; "Marx, Cynthia" <cindy.marx@lakewoodoh.net>; "Nowlin, Ryan" <Ryan.Nowlin@lakewoodoh.net>; 'John Bodine' <jbodine@huronconsultinggroup.com>; 'Paul Colarusso' <pcolarusso@huronconsultinggroup.com>; "Litten, John" <John.Litten@lakewoodoh.net>; 'Dan O'Malley' <danieljomalley@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, February 5, 2016 12:06 PM
Subject: Re: Ongoing Public Records Violations to Conceal Political Activity

Dear Director Butler,

Thank you again for your responses below.

To the extent that the requests for public records were not part of my original requests, the requests herein are hereby made under the public records laws.

As a follow up please produce the following documents (page numbers are in reference to your production of Feb 3, 2015 below):

1. Page 103 September 16, 2015--Please note that communications between Thompson Hine and Huron are not privileged and do not meet any exception to public records laws. Please obtain and produce those records.
2. Page 87 reference an attachment "Huron Presentation to the City of Lakewood.pdf" this was not produced with your responses. Kindly produce it.
3. Page 83 Patient day data. Huron wrote in response to my request No. 4 "Huron received documentation from Michael Meehan, however the subject of the email states the information is "Attorney Client Privileged" This is not a privileged communication. Please produce it.
4. Page 83 Key performance metrics. eference is made to a document in Mayor Summers possession. Kindly produce that document. As noted in your email of yesterday, Mayor Summers is not subject to ay confidentiality agreement. Additionally, certainly the public is entitled to this document--records given to a public consultant who was hired to inform the public on a matter and which record formed the basis of that consultant's public opinions are public records. Stated differently it makes no sense for the Mayor to disclose the document to the consultant and not to the public. Further, Shannon Ritchie as an officer of LHA owed his duties the citizens of Lakewood per the 1996 Lease that required "full disclosure of hospital operations" Mr. Ritchie serves the Mayor as an ex-officio trustee, not the other way around.--Mr. Ritchie had no enforceable right to confidentiality that binds the Mayor or the City. Kindly obtain the document from the Mayor and produce it.
5. Page 57 Interview notes. Certainly the City is entitled to see the work product of its consultant. Please obtain documents responsive to 9(a). Mr. Butler, I note that you agree with me since you asked Paul for the notes.
6. Page 49 referenced vetting or comments by LHF to the Huron Report and drafts of that report that you did not include in your production. Kindly produce those records of LHF communications and the drafts Also please produce all iterations of drafts or partial drafts of Huron's report and "presentation" as it is referred to on page 49.
7. Page 42. Similar to page 49, it appears that your responses may be incomplete as I do not see emails with the attached drafts of the "Final Presentation"--please review and advise if you have produced all emails If you and Huron were using another system of exchanging drafts, then kindly produce all public records evidencing that system and the exchange of the drafts.
8. Page 8 Please produce all public records evidencing Tom Bullock sharing the Huron responses of September 29, 2015 5:10 p.m. with "his colleagues and the public"
9. Page 99 referencing my original request, you cite O.R.C. 149.43(A)(1)(v) That clearly does not apply to THF and Huron interactions. Please produce all public records of those interactions and communications.

One again, I look forward to an ongoing cooperative working relationship.

Sincerely,

Brian J. Essi




From: "Butler, Kevin" <Kevin.Butler@lakewoodoh.net>
To: 'Brian Essi' <bjessi@sbcglobal.net>; "Bullock, Tom" <Tom.Bullock@lakewoodoh.net>
Cc: "Summers, Mike" <Mike.Summers@lakewoodoh.net>; "Hagan, Mary" <Mary.Hagan@lakewoodoh.net>; "O'Leary, Sam" <Sam.OLeary@lakewoodoh.net>; "Anderson, David" <David.Anderson@lakewoodoh.net>; "Marx, Cynthia" <cindy.marx@lakewoodoh.net>; "Nowlin, Ryan" <Ryan.Nowlin@lakewoodoh.net>; 'John Bodine' <jbodine@huronconsultinggroup.com>; 'Paul Colarusso' <pcolarusso@huronconsultinggroup.com>; "Litten, John" <John.Litten@lakewoodoh.net>; 'Dan O'Malley' <danieljomalley@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 3, 2016 9:15 PM
Subject: RE: Ongoing Public Records Violations to Conceal Political Activity

Mr. Essi, please see attached public records responsive to Item 1 of your request below. I believe this completes our response.

Kevin M. Butler, Director of Law
City of Lakewood | Law Department
(216) 529-6034
kevin.butler@lakewoodoh.net

From: Butler, Kevin
Sent: Monday, February 01, 2016 9:33 PM
To: 'Brian Essi'; Bullock, Tom
Cc: Summers, Mike; Hagan, Mary; O'Leary, Sam; Anderson, David; Marx, Cynthia; Nowlin, Ryan; John Bodine; Paul Colarusso; Litten, John; Dan O'Malley
Subject: RE: Ongoing Public Records Violations to Conceal Political Activity

Mr. Essi, we previously responded to Items 2 and 3 of your request below, and we still owe you a response on the first item. We’re working on that now. It’s worth saying that I’m not responding to anything you’ve alleged – that is, anything beyond the scope of your records requests – other than to say I don’t agree with those allegations.

Best wishes,

Kevin

Kevin M. Butler, Director of Law
City of Lakewood | Law Department
(216) 529-6034
kevin.butler@lakewoodoh.net


On Oct 5, 2015, at 11:42 AM, Brian Essi <bjessi@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

Dear Director Butler, Mayor Summers and Councilman Bullock,

I wish I could say that I am shocked at the new low that the three of you have achieved.

Attached is a September 29, 2015 email from Huron Consulting to Messrs. Butler and Bullock that Mayor Summers handed to the editorial board of the Plain Dealer on October 1, 2015 in an effort to obtain a political endorsement. I believe the email makes false allegations concerning statements allegedly made by Senator Skindell. It seems clear that Huron Consulting has been improperly used by the three of you for personal political purposes and not in furtherance of any legitimate purpose of City Hall.

Please produce the following public records:

1. All records, emails, letters, and notes of all communications by, among and/or between Kevin Butler, Mike Summers, Tom Bullock, Paul Colarusso and/or John Bodine or any of them from September 1, 2015 through the date of this request including but not limited to the email(s) that Mr. Colarusso was responding to on September 29, 2015.

2. All invoices and time records submitted by Huron Consulting at any time.

3. All engagement letters or contracts with Huron Consulting for any matter.


Sincerely,

Brian J. Essi

If you are refused copies of public records, you can file a complaint with the Attorney General's Office.

Good Job Brian Essi, Thank You for all the hard work you are doing without any re-numeration. We just really appreciate it. Save Lakewood Hospital workers will keep working in harmony with you until justice prevails." People United, Will Never Be Defeated "

Mr. Bullock is one of Hillary's biggest supporters in Lakewood. [Insert your own joke here]

Michael Deneen wrote:Mr. Bullock is one of Hillary's biggest supporters in Lakewood. [Insert your own joke here]

Mike,

Bullock has been caught red handed in a big lie--he never thought the emails would come to light.

The emails that were concealed clearly demonstrate (among other things):

1. Bullock, Butler and Summers secretly used Huron consulting to advance their dishonest political agenda.

2. They publicly portrayed Huron as "independent" while they secretly controlled the information they fed Huron for their desired outcome.

3. Bullock falsely accused Senator Skindell of "politicizing" the Huron Report while Bullock himself had direct access to Huron and directed Huron for political purposes. Huh?

4. Someone changed the content of the "Huron email" that was given to the Plain Dealer editorial board and removed Bullock's "fingerprints" from it.

I wonder who would have removed Tom Bullock's fingerprints from that document?

Hmmmm