Posts Tagged Mayor Zanotti
Zanotti on Gambling Trips, Alternative Paper Says
Posted by Roldo Bartimole in Media, Politicians on February 26, 2010
February 26, 2010… Cuyahoga County reform Issue 6 leader Marty Zanotti took gambling trips with convicted County corrupter J. Kevin Kelly.
The story was broken by James Renner of the Independent.
Here’s how the article begins:
Independent Exclusive: Zanotti Gambled with J. Kevin Kelley
By James Renner
Contrary to his public denials, The Independent has learned that Issue 6 architect, former Mayor of Parma Heights, and county-transition executive committee member Martin Zanotti took trips north to gamble with county corruption figure J. Kevin Kelley and several other local politicians.
Zanotti watched from the sidelines at a public meeting for the government transition process held at CSU February 17. After several audience members lobbed softball questions at the group of Democrats in control of the meeting, I stepped to the mic and addressed Zanotti directly. I asked him to go on record to confirm or deny that he accompanied J. Kevin Kelley on gambling junkets to the Detroit/Windsor area. Zanotti’s response? “Come over here and ask me that.”
So I did.
But the audience never heard his response, which was, “Zero.”
I guess that depends on your definition of “junket”.
Reached by phone early this morning, Joe Tal, Parma Heights service director and brother-in-law of Zanotti, said that he was on at least two trips to casinos with Zanotti and J. Kevin Kelley. The feds insist J. Kevin Kelley’s limos, trips and chips were paid for by people seeking favors from Cuyahoga County Auditor Frank Russo and commissioner Jimmy Dimora.
You can read the entire piece here:
http://www.clevelandindependent.com/2010/02/26/independent-exclusive-zanottikelley-gambled/
Are We Safe With Zanotti Taking a Reform Lead?
Posted by Roldo Bartimole in Media, Politicians on February 11, 2010
February 11, 2010… You may have missed, as I did, an important profile of Martin Zanotti one of the leaders in the Cuyahoga County reform saga. Damian Guevara of Scene gave us a revealing picture of the guy who has taken a lead in the transition stage for the new county government.
It’s not a pretty picture he paints.
The Plain Dealer has been hammering away on the issue of transparency as revealed by the fact that there have been private meetings by those set up to facilitate the changeover. Presently, the County is governed by three County Commissioners. The new reform voted in last November has a County Executive and a legislative 11-member County Council.
Once again we have public business being conducted privately. The issue became front-page news after a WCPN-radio show talk revealed that transition meetings had been closed to the public and to reporters.
After bad publicity on the radio and in the Plain Dealer along with a threat by the ACLU of a suit, the transition folk backed off. It will now meet publicly.
Here the link to the Zanotti story. It should be required reading for those following the reform move…
http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/the-zanotti-way/Content?oid=1817039