The Stark County Political Report is "smelling a rat" in the commissioners going into executive session with Stark County Treasurer Gary D. Zeigler and his attorney at yesterday's meeting.
Why does The Report suspect that all may not be legal with the commissioners and their executive session?
First of all, the meeting was billed as a Stark County Auditor Kim Perez "come to Jesus" moment. Only trouble is: Perez did not show up. Probably because he was told not to show up as commissioners had bigger fish to fry yesterday.
Who might that fish be?
Stark County Treasurer Gary D. Zeigler, that's who.
As The Report entered the commissioners hearing room at the 1:30 p.m. start time, talk was taking place (from County Administrator Mike Hanke) that Zeigler might show up. There had been information in the media to the effect that Zeigler be invited to appear in addition to Perez.
Well, Zeigler did show up and showed up with his attorney, family and friends and a huge stack of documents. Here is a pictorial collage showing a part of the Zeigler entourage.
It is apparent to the SCPR that Zeigler was surprised that he and his attorney would be called into executive session by commissioners.
Why would he bring friends and family to a meeting to have to sit out in the waiting area while a executive session which lasted about an hour went on?
After the executive session, there was no discussion of Zeigler by commissioners in open meeting and, of course, friends and family had not returned to the meeting.
Second reason.
The SCPR captured some video of Zeigler and his attorney immediately after the executive session ended speaking to what went on during the executive session.
Study the video which is posted at the end of this blog. See if you agree with the SCPR that Zeigler and his attorney (reading between their words) indicate their part (Attorney Thompson clearly identifies another part of the session, after their presentation was done, as to being about "pending or imminent litigation") was about Zeigler's effort to shift responsibility for not detecting the $2.46 million
Zeigler brushes aside Rep reporter Kelli Young's question about the existence or plan by Zeigler to file a lawsuit against State of Ohio Auditor Mary Taylor.
Even if Zeigler does plan to file against Taylor, what do the commissioners have to do with it?
Third reason.
After the meeting had adjourned, yours truly asked Commissioner Bosley what lawsuit involving Zeigler was the topic of the executive session. The Report recited to Bosley (paraphrasing): "Let's see, there is Zeigler's suit against The Repository and Tom Marcelli's (for Stark County taxpayers) against Zeigler; what other lawsuit is there to discuss."
Bosley ducked answering the question and passed it on to County Administrator Mike Hanke who in turn passed it on to board attorney Prosecutor Deborah A. Dawson (who had not returned to the meeting after the executive session).
Commissioner Bosley has to do better than the "pending or imminent litigation" attribution to the executive session in light of the suspicious circumstances of the Zeigler/commissioner meeting.
Here is the video which presents a summary of the unfolding of the executive session event.
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