Check out Channel 3's report on Sheriff Gerald McFaul's resignation. Then read the Plain Dealer's.
The announcement from McFaul's office says his doctor advised him to resign yesterday because of his poor health. But the Plain Dealer notes that the resignation came 30 minutes after a reporter called to ask about cash McFaul got from his employees:
For years, his workers have provided him with thousands of dollars in cash and other gifts for his birthday, at Christmas and before vacations to Ireland and Florida.
Tim Hagan defends McFaul to Channel 3. I hope Hagan is the victim of bad sound-bite editing here, or a slip of his own tongue:
Nobody questioned his integrity or the people around him. ... These accusations that are made without foundation run him out of office. It's too bad that somebody, after all these years, is given this kind of farewell.
Which allegations are without foundation? The tapes that provoked a special prosecutor's investigation? The timesheets that show McFaul was only in the office once a week? The deputy who threatened to kill four cops, but didn't get charged because McFaul's office protected him?
But for a different farewell, here is the Plain Dealer's retrospective on McFaul's career. It's a great story: a near-fistfight with Dennis Kucinich, a police dog's bulletproof vest, an armored vehicle named Big Ben, dumb crooks lured to jail by promises of free cash. As one online commenter says: "Damn, now that's a re-cap."
Update, Friday 3/27, a.m.: Channel 3 also seemed to say that Hagan hopes the special prosecutor's probe of McFaul is "moot" now that he's resigned. Guess not. The Ohio Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation raided the sheriff's office yesterday.
Update, Tuesday 3/31, a.m.: Hagan backed off his earlier comments about McFaul on WMJI's Lanigan and Malone show this morning. Chip Kullik asked him if he stood by his comment that no one had questioned McFaul's integrity. "No, did I say that?" Hagan answered.
Hagan said he had privately pressed McFaul to resign. "We had 15 phone calls to try to encourage him to understand what was happening," Hagan said. "It looks like he made some serious mistakes."
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3 comments:
Gerry McFaul thought people owed their loyalty to him, rather than he owing his loyalty to the people. Tim Hagan seems to think he owes his loyalty to corrupt friends' legacies, rather than to the people. I think the people owe it to the current County adminsitration to vote them out of office (with the singular exception of Jim Rokakis).
Rokakis needs also needs examination. Rokakis=Frangos=Frangos Group=BOR=Land Bank...not unlike Russo and his real estate transactions now under scrutiny. Why do we allow these set-ups to occur, time and time, again.
"Nobody questioned his integrity or the people around him. ... These accusations that are made without foundation run him out of office. It's too bad that somebody, after all these years, is given this kind of farewell."
Quote from Tim Hagan. After all these years of intimidation, nepotism, corruption, and lies, what is a more befitting farewell and good riddance. Tim Hagan's defense of this makes me question whether or not he himself lacks integrity. I am so fed up with Cleveland Democratic politics and shenanigans. The lying, corruption and kickbacks are sickening. Even though I am a registered Democrat, I will think long and hard about who to vote for. It's time for all new blood, no ties no more lies.
I agree with a previous comment that we owe it to the current County administration to vote them out of office.
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