Jimmy Dimora asked Gerald McFaul to hire a buddy of Frank Russo's for a public job with a retirement pension, according to the prosecutor's charges against Russo.
The charge claims McFaul hired Russo's buddy, "Public Employee 40," as an appraiser in April 2008, and that Russo helped PE40 get the job in exchange for favors -- including sponsoring a $8,000 fundraiser for Russo's brother, county probate judge Anthony Russo.
Two weeks earlier, it says, Dimora, McFaul, Russo had dinner at Delsangro's Restaurant in Brook Park, where Dimora told McFaul he wanted the job for PE40 to be "PERS," meaning covered by the state's government-employee pension program.
The next day, Russo allegedly told PE40 that McFaul would give him the job, but his benefits weren't nailed down yet.
There's no reference in the charge to Dimora or McFaul personally benefiting from the alleged agreement.
Update, 4 p.m.: The Plain Dealer is identifying PE40 as Jerry Skuhrovec, who worked for both McFaul and Russo's offices. Jim Trakas, former county Republican chairman, has written an interesting comment about Dimora and Skuhrovec in response to this post. Click on the comments link below if you can't see it.
Jerry Shcrovek is also a friend of Jimmy Dimora's, not just Frank Russo's. When Jerry ran for Independence City Council, Jimmy recorded robocalls for him and helped him campaign. Also, he was in very frequent company with both Public Official 1 and Frank Russo.
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