FBI searches county offices in Cleveland

[jtrockville]

Source: Associated Press, Joe Milicia

CLEVELAND - FBI and IRS agents served at least 10 search warrants Monday at Cuyahoga County offices, businesses and homes as part of a public corruption investigation, authorities said.

About 200 FBI agents, some brought in from Pittsburgh to help with the searches, raided the county administration building, engineer's office and an information services center.

"This stems from a long-term public corruption investigation," FBI spokesman Scott Wilson said. "The warrants are sealed through the court, and basically, I cannot comment on anything that's being searched or seized."

...

Agents entering the administration building searched the third and fourth floors, including Auditor Frank Russo's office and Commissioner Jimmy Dimora's office, Wilson said. FBI vehicles were spotted at both of their homes.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080728/ap_on_re_us/ohio_corruption_probe_3

[OhioChick]

1. Everything is fucked up in Cleveland. n/t

[jtrockville]

2. Let's hope the FBI can sort it out.

[OhioChick]

3. Boxes Loaded Into U-Haul After Raid On County Offices

Agents At Homes Of Commissioner Jimmy Dimora, Auditor Frank Russo

POSTED: 10:30 am EDT July 28, 2008
UPDATED: 7:25 pm EDT July 28, 2008

CLEVELAND -- The FBI and the IRS launched a joint investigation into the Cuyahoga County government that resulted in several raids being conducted on Monday.

Search warrants were served at 10 locations, including the Cuyahoga County Administration Building, homes and businesses, and more than 100 agents were involved.

A NewsChannel5 source said this is the biggest federal raid in the city since the 1970s, when federal agents took down the Cleveland mob.

FBI spokesman Scott Wilson said he can't comment on anything being search or seized, but said Monday's activity stems from a long-term public corruption probe.

Wilson also said that no arrest warrants have been issued and that county employees are cooperating with the investigation.

FBI agents raided the county administration building and were going through files and stopping employees showing up for work downtown Monday. The third and fourth floors of the county building were closed. That is home to the auditor and several commissioners.

In the late afternoon, agents began bringing out several boxes and loading them into a U-Haul truck.

NewsChopper5 spotted several agents at the home of County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora in Independence. Jim McCafferty, the county administrator, said that when agents arrived at the county administration building at Ontario and Lakeside avenues, they asked for Dimora's office.

http://www.newsnet5.com/politics/17013097/detail.html

[GardeningGal]

4. I hope there is still some evidence of the 2004 election. n/t

[lib2DaBone]

5. Where's Ken Blackwell?

Hope I'm not jumping to conclusions... but... Republican Ken Blackwell was caught tampering with the voting machines in 2004.. and not a word from the FBI. Now, Kucinich is talking Impeachment and all of a sudden the FBI is crawling all over Cleveland? Am I too Cynical?

[L. Coyote]

21. Were the Dems investigating Bennett, et.al for the 2004 fraud?

Was Marc Dann spied on because he was investigating 2004 fraud?

There are some things going on behind the scene in Ohio, including official investigations of the 2004 election.
In Cuyahoga, there may be some efforts to cover up what happened in 2004 still in play, including this raid.

The No Ohio USA and the FBI have not responded positively (not at all) to offers of evidence of election fraud. Why?

[Gman]

6. Does the GOP need a scandal to turn attention from their own scandals in Ohio?

Anything at all that comes from the DOJ must be suspect for political motives. Suspect politics first these days.

[struggle4progress]

19. Democratic Party Brings Platform Meetings to Cleveland This Weekend

Democratic Party Brings Platform Meetings to Cleveland This Weekend
July 29, 2008 6:45 PM EDT

... Highlights will include a Friday hearing with policy leaders and issue advocates and a Saturday roundtable on the economy and health care featuring Ohioans and regular Americans. The weekend events are part of a process that began three weeks ago with more than 1,300 meetings held in all 50 states to solicit input on the Party platform in advance of next month's Democratic National Convention in Denver.

On Friday, August 1, the Committee will hold a National Platform Hearing from 2:00 - 7:00 PM, during which national experts will contribute to the Party's platform on a host of issues, including the economy, health care and energy.

On Saturday, August 2, the Party will hold a "Listening to America Session" roundtable from 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM, during which regular Americans, including Ohioans and participants from the more than 1,300 community platform meetings, will discuss local economic and health care concerns with the committee members.

Also on Saturday, the Platform Drafting Committee will meet from 2:00 - 6:00 PM to prepare an initial draft of the platform ...

http://www.streetinsider.com/Press+Releases/Democratic+Party+Brings+Platform+Meetings+to+Cleveland+This+Weekend/3858516.html

[hootinholler]

7. Curious indeed

Would a stolen election result in public corruption charges?

Maybe it's related to the coin scandal?

-Hoot

[Doremus]

8. Dimora is the Dem chairman of Cuyahoga Co. n/t

[Doremus]

9. "Agents also entered 4 area businesses..."

"At least 10 search warrants were executed. Agents also entered four area businesses: DAS Construction Co. in Garfield Heights; Blaze Construction in Berea; Doan Pyramid Electric in Bedford Heights and Vincore Corp., a consulting service in Cleveland run by Russo's son, Vince."

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gi2JVQGoooCCpqh48bElOwU5xk0wD9274REG0

[struggle4progress]

10. 5 Ohio Republican mayors tell GOP to shove it (March 2008)

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:30:29 -0500) --- From The Cleveland Plain Dealer, 3/5/08:

At least five Republican mayors in Cuyahoga County switched parties Tuesday as part of a carefully orchestrated coup by Democratic Chairman Jimmy Dimora.

This increased the number of Democratic mayors to 42; There are 16 Republican mayors, Dimora said Wednesday.

"They see the dominance of the party structure. You might as well get on the winning team."

He said the party-jumping is a backlash to Republican rule in the nation and Ohio.

http://www.vunet.org/bush/1204752629-5_Ohio_Republican_mayors_tell_GOP_to_shove_it.html

[tom_paine]

11. Bush DOJ attacking swing state Dems HARD with selective prosecutions

Looks like the remaining US Attorneys got the message and are carrying out the Bushie Program to a tee. PA Dems and OH Dems nailed hard. I think it si safe to say the Bushie Summer Propaganda Offensive is underway.

As expected, I am sorry to say.

Just like any other Third World Nation, if election time is nearing, you can be sure the instruments of the state will be wielded against the opposition parties.

Not that I am condoning Democratic corruption, but you KNOW this is politically timed and the in the next county the Bushies are doing the same and worse, but weithout having to worry that the Feds are going to scrutinize them.

[struggle4progress]

12. ... President George W. Bush will be in the Cleveland area on Tuesday ...

... Before heading back to Washington, the president will attend a fundraiser for Republican congressional candidates ...

President Bush To Visit Euclid Plant On Tuesday
Bush To Speak About Energy, Economy At Lincoln Electric
POSTED: 5:43 pm EDT July 28, 2008
UPDATED: 6:07 pm EDT July 28, 2008http://www.newsnet5.com/politics/17018140/detail.html?rss=nn5&psp=news

[struggle4progress]

14. .. Bush .. will tour the Lincoln Electric Co .. Bush also will attend a private reception

in Gates Mills. Bush will give his remarks about 3:45 p.m. at the Lincoln Electric Co., 22221 Saint Clair Ave ...

President Bush in Cleveland Tuesday
By Stephanie Warsmith
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 09:56 a.m. EDT, Jul 28, 2008
http://www.ohio.com/news/break_news/25983559.html

[struggle4progress]

20. Bush renews push for offshore oil drilling

By BEN FELLER

... After his energy speech, Bush raised some cash for the Congressional Trust, a Republican campaign fund for congressional candidates. The event was expected to raise $530,000. The fundraiser was held in Gates Mills, a Cleveland suburb, at the home of insurance executive Umberto Fedeli in the Cleveland suburb of Gates Mills. Like most of Bush's fundraisers this year, the event was closed to the media ...
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j057jBReERcsF-FcZRSWe0h1gaXQD927PD00C


... a $10,000-to-$25,000-a-plate private fundraiser for GOP congressional candidates ...
Bush visits Euclid company, pushes expansion of offshore drilling
By Stephanie Warsmith
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 06:17 p.m. EDT, Jul 29, 200
http://www.ohio.com/news/top_stories/26068764.html

[struggle4progress]

13. Fire at Councilman Joe Cimperman's home considered suspicious, blaze under investigation

The most recent message was a voicemail in March from a man who threatened to "bury" Cimperman. The councilman said he also had received a pair of menacing letters last summer after he spoke out against what were believed to be racially motivated arsons on his block ... Cimperman also told The Plain Dealer on Monday that he had received two threatening letters last summer after he stood up for two black families on his street who were victims of arsons believed to be racially motivated. One letter, he said, simply read: "Die." He turned over those letters, which he said were signed "the local Ku Klux Klan," to police investigators last year ...

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/07/fire_at_councilman_joe_cimperm.html


Fire hits Cleveland Councilman Joe Cimperman's house
Posted by Henry J. Gomez, Mark Puente and Donna J. Miller
July 28, 2008 07:00AM
... Cleveland Councilman Joe Cimperman's house was nearly destroyed this morning by fire ...
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/07/cleveland_councilman_loses_hou.html

[struggle4progress]

16. FBI investigates spray-painted racial slurs on Cleveland houses (Mar 08)

By The Associated Press
Originally published 05:12 p.m., March 27, 2008
Updated 05:12 p.m., March 27, 2008

Margaret Arnold said her neighbors told her Tuesday the outside of her house was sprayed with what she described as “bad words,” KKK and other symbols. The blue paint was also sprayed on the house next door.

Police say it appeared the same paint was used to write racial slurs on the two houses.

Cleveland Mayor Tom Rowland said at a news conference today he considers the painted words to be a hate crime. Officials said a $1,000 reward has been offered.

Arnold, who is in her 80s, said an FBI agent who interviewed her Wednesday said the agency was investigating ...

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/Mar/27/fbi-investigates-spray-painted-racial-slurs-clevel/

[Ellipsis]

15. ...allegations they traded for free improvements to their homes and properties.

The agents who fanned out Monday searched three companies. Federal sources say at least two of the three did free construction work at Dimora's Independence home and Russo's house in Mayfield.
Scott Shaw/The Plain DealerFBI and federal agents searched DAS Construction Co. in Garfield Heights. They loaded a U-Haul truck with multiple boxes. Several homes, businesses, and offices were searched in an investigation into corruption in Cuyahoga County.

The agents spent most of the day at the companies: D-A-S Construction in Garfield Heights, Doan Pyramid Electric in Bedford Heights and Blaze Construction in Berea. Unclear is what, if anything, the firms received from Dimora and Russo.

The agents are probing allegations that D-A-S' chief executive officer, Steve Pumper, did about $50,000 in work at Dimora's home several years ago. Sources said Pumper did not seek payment until after he was arrested recently, accused of trying to bribe a Cleveland building inspector. He was not charged.

Much more with video and other links.

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/07/federal_raids_target_cuyahoga.html

[struggle4progress]

17. Summary so far: hate groups are on the rise in Cleveland but the FBI does nothing effective. Sunday

night, the house of a city councilman is torched, after he's received threatening letters from the Klan for several years

Monday, the FBI, which has been informed about Cleveland hate crimes in the recent past, finally sweeps into Cleveland. Are they searching for hate groups? Well, no, they're after the local Democratic party chair, who's recently been luring GOP mayors away from the GOP nest

Oddly enough, the raids (directed against Democrats) are perfectly timed to support *'s fundraising visit Tuesday

[HughBeaumont]

18. Of course, because they're part of the Democratic party (DINOs, to be truthful) . . .

. . . the right-wing rag Blame Dealer is trumpeting this with 72 point headlines as if the FBI found bodies in their house or something along those lines.

I say, great and all . . . if there is corruption within city government, I would want it investigated no matter what side of the fence the bad guys lay on.

Now, when is it going to start happening on the OTHER side of the fence? As in, when is the FBI and the CIA going to raid the offices of Ken Blackwell, George Bewsh, Dick Cheney, Kathy Harris, Condi Rice, etc, etc, etc?

Don't think I'll be holdin' my breath waiting for that blessed day to arrive . . .