Correction: Cool Cleveland would like to clarify that on the main page, Tim Hagan was inadvertantly implicated in place of Frank Russo. Hagan is not a target of the investigation.
Thomas Mulready: How did your press conference go this morning?Peter Lawson Jones: By all accounts, the press conference went stupendously. I had no idea this was going live on TV. It went well. I was able to make the points I wanted to make.
So far, the media has not published much of your remarks. What have they left out?
I wanted to let people know that we are providing the facts and information relative to this investigation. We will continue to update people. The IRS & FBI are conducting a joint investigation and have been searching businesses & offices & homes. They are looking at work being done by certain companies at public officials homes' and if it was quid pro quo for County business. We have looked at the contracts which came before the County Board of Commissioners, on which I sit with Jimmy Dimora and Tim Hagan. We received four quotes from Blaze which were the lowest & best quotes for the contracts they won. Stone Pyramid & Electric were also lowest & best.Smaller contracts under $25,000 do not have to receive Board approval, so those the board didn't have to act on. We are also providing some supplemental information that the DAS company did receive some loans from County Department of Development, and they are on time with those loans.
Besides the large contracts that you saw as a Board of Commissioners, is there some way that corruption could have taken place?
If you are asking me, is it possible that a Commissioner could have influenced a Director of a department to give a contract under $25K to a business? Yes. DAS had one under $25K, which were engineering drawings for a Senior Center. Doan Electric had about 15 contracts that were under $25K. I have asked for a full accounting of these contracts.
What else did you say in your press conference?
I also wanted to address the 1.3 million residents of Cuyahoga County who are disgusted and sickened, as they should be. And I wanted to direct some comments to the hard working 9567 county employees who are anxious and being impunged. To residents, I wanted to make three points: a) we are fully cooperating, in full disclosure, we will do what is asked of us, b) We will let the chips fall where they may. If there is wrongdoing, we will support vigorous prosecution, c) And finally, County residents should know that residents come before our associates and friends.
We also wanted to assure everyone that County government continues to function: our programs for seniors, children, workforce development, welfare to work, and companies that need our support will find that County government continues to operate. To our workers, you should not be ashamed, continue your good work, and I (Peter Lawson Jones) will be around today & tomorrow till 6PM & tomorrow. Next Wednesday at 4:30PM, we will host an open forum for County employees at a location to be determined.
Do you know if you are under investigation?
I hope not. I have not been contacted.
Are you going to call for an independent investigation of the County Commissioner's office?
I'm not thinking about that right now. I'm not sure what the investigation would be. Haven't given consideration.
How will this affect your re-election campaign against Bay Village Mayor Deborah Sutherland?
I was trying to avoid... This is something that makes it a little more challenging. Her campaign isn't "anti-PLJ," but her attack is really on the County, rather than me specifically. This is the political season. I have no doubt that my opponent will use this against me. I'm sure she'll throw the kitchen sink at the County and try to knock me out as well.
Why do you think County Prosecutor Bill Mason has not been targeted as of yet? Do you think it is because of his relationship with Patrick O'Malley?
I do not know. I don't think the federal officials care who you are friends with. If they have something on you, they are moving forward. There has been speculation that Patrick O'Malley is behind all this.
How will this affect Patrick O'Malley's sentencing?
I understand he is up for sentencing on August 22. I haven't talked to him in months.
How far back does it go? Does it go back to Michael White?
It strikes me that- when was the work done on Jimmy's home? If you look at the chronology... Most of this stuff looks like it goes back to 2002 on Jimmy's home, Russo's home: 2007. White was out of office in 2001.
Had you been approached and offered money or compensation to affect your decision making as a Commissioner?
No that has never happened. In this business, people try you, and when they see you don't bite, they don't try again. I doubt there is any public official at this level who has not been approached. I have been approached on 2 occasions. Same person twice.
What happened?
They saw that I wasn't the guy that they hoped I was.
Tell me about your latest project with Terrence Spivey of Karamu House?
In January of 2009, I'm performing in the play "A House With No Walls," by Thomas Gibbons. He wrote a play that was done last season, A Permanent Collection. Our play will be an Ohio premiere. I will be playing the male lead. Rehearsal begins in mid-November, after the election. That was the only way I could do it.
So after November, will acting become your full-time profession?
(Laughs) If so, they sure better offer me some reasonable compensation. I have a kid in college and one almost in college. I hope to still have my day job.
Interview & photo by Thomas Mulready
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