Former Steve Chabot aide Jamie Schwartz pleads guilty in embezzlement scheme bizjournals.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bizjournals.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Cincinnati City Councilman Wendell Young will remain on council after an effort to unseat him failed.
But a state suspension looms for the Democrat, who is facing a felony charge of tampering with records related to his destruction of text messages about city business in the Gang of 5 civil case.
Republican Councilwoman Betsy Sundermann sought a vote to suspend Young after votes overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure in the May primary giving council members the power to suspend a fellow member if they are indicted or arrested on a criminal charge related to their city job.
She needed a vote of 7, but only got 6.
View Comments
There are no provisions in the Cincinnati Charter that address what should happen if an elected official is charged with a crime. But under state rules. either the state attorney general or prosecutor – in this case Hanley – can move to suspend an elected official who has been charged with a crime.
Cincinnati voters approved a Charter Amendment last week that would allow Cincinnati City Council, with a vote of seven members, to suspend a council member. But that does not go into affect until May 18, when the Hamilton County Board of Elections certifies the official vote. Republican councilwoman Betsy Sundermann has put forward a motion to suspend Young, a Democrat, but that motion has not yet been brought to the floor of council.
Cincinnati City Councilwoman Betsy Sundermann wasted no time Wednesday.
Just hours after Cincinnati voters passed Issues 1 and 2 – intended to make it easier to remove arrested council members – Republican Sundermann called for Democrat Councilman Wendell Young to be suspended.
In a letter dated Wednesday, Sundermann asked Clerk of Council Melissa Autry to put forward a motion to suspend Young. That can t happen until Issue 2 officially becomes law in about two weeks when the Hamilton County Board of Elections certifies the primary vote.
Sundermann said Young shouldn t be voting while facing criminal charges. The voters of Cincinnati gave us a clear message last night – they want us to clean up corruption at City Hall, Sundermann told The Enquirer. Issue 2 was put on the ballot for a time just like this. It s time we listen to the voters and act swiftly to remove Mr. Young from Council.
Wendell Young: Cincinnati City Council member indicted - Cincinnati Business Courier bizjournals.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bizjournals.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.