IS THE GEORGE T. MAIER FOR SHERIFF CAMPAIGN PLAYING "DIRTY POLITICS?"

 Revised and updated on March 3, 2014 at 09:17 AM

Within the past few days, opponents to George T. Maier becoming Stark County sheriff have surfaced to allege that Maier supporters are engaging in political "dirty tricks"  in their push to have their man become Stark County sheriff through January, 2017.

Stay tuned.

The Report describes below what has happened that has fueled the allegation of "dirty tricks."

THE "DIRTY TRICKS" BACKGROUND

The SCPR thinks that the whipping up folks into a frenzy by the pro-George T. Maier folks started before the Stark County Democratic Party Central Committee (SCDP-CC) met on February 5, 2013 to select a replacement for Mike McDonald who was elected in November, 2012 as Stark County sheriff but who could not take office on January 13, 2013 because of a terminal illness that claimed his life on February 22, 2013.

The SCPR believes the very earliest manifestation came at the hands of Stark County Dems' chairman Randy Gonzalez (an unabashed Maier supporter from the "get-go) when he on February 5th appears to The Report to humiliate Stark County prosecutor John Ferrero in pointing out to the 177 or so assembled SCDP-CC members in saying these words (or words to this effect):  "your Stark County prosecutor filed an affidavit saying George T. Maier is not qualified to be Stark County sheriff.



On the 5th, the Dems voted 92 for Maier, 84 for Darrow (both Democrats) and surprisingly 1 for Republican Larry Dordea.

The Report thinks that "the humiliation" was a very big dumb thing for Gonzalez to have done.

For it seems that from that point on that Ferrero and interim Sheriff Tim Swanson have been intent on denying Maier Stark County's sheriff-ship.

Moreover, it is the SCPR's take that Gonzalez and his fellow pro-Maier folks have endeavored to bully their way over and through Ferrero and Swanson.

Over a year later, the succession question is still unsettled.

After having been removed by the Ohio Supreme Court on November 6, 2013 by the Oho Supreme Court (Swanson v. Maier, quo warranto filed February 12, 2013), the Dems reappointed Maier on December 11, 2013.

Since the 11th, times have been turbulent for Maier and the Dems with the filing of a couple of lawsuits to recover monies paid to or expended by Maier while he served as the illegally appointed sheriff; one of which seeks to dip into the "personal pocket" of Maier for Swanson to retrieve some $90,000 he lost to Maier as a consequence of Maier having usurped into office.

Moreover, the SCPR believes that Maier still faces a prospective second Swanson quo warranto filing on whether or not he will be allow to retain office through December 31, 2014.

However, for now, it is candidate time as the time to be the appointee of the Stark Dems will expire at on December 31, 2014 or thereabouts.

To continue to be sheriff after December 31st, will depend on a "would be sheriff" being successful in the upcoming election of November, 2014.

February 5, 2014 was the filing deadline for the partisan Democrat and Republican

A really big event in the succession fight transpired on February 6, 2014.

After the filing deadline for petitions being filed (February 5, 2014),  Massillon civic activist and Stark County Democratic Party central committee woman Cynthia Balas-Bratton (Massillon Ward 2A filed a "protest" to the candidacy Maier to run for the remaining two years of Mike McDonald's term as Stark County sheriff.

On February 17th, the Stark Board of Elections (BOE, Board) met and set up a hearing date on the protest for February 21st at the Millennium Centre (a Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce operated facility) located in the 200 block of Market Avenue, North beginning at 9:00 a.m.



On the 17th, the pro-Maier forces "packed the House" at the BOE on 3rd Street in Canton"  with nearly 30 or so deputy sheriff and administrators wearing the familiar black uniforms.

The SCPR believes that "packing the House" with "emotionally ginned-up Maier supporters" was a building on the "shame on Ferrero" thing started by Gonzalez way back in February, 2013.

Moreover, The Report thinks that George Maier in various and sundry and, likely, in subtle ways, has been shaming Tim Swanson within the hearing of the sheriff deputies and administrators; all of which has to be bleeding back to Swanson as he suns himself in Florida retirement.

If The Report's take is correct, such a tack is yet another example of political stupidity in terms of making Swanson determined to move on with his confrontation with Maier.

One would think that Maier has to know that there still are Swanson loyalists within his deputy/administrator ranks.

On February 21st, an approximately seven (7) hour hearing was held in which the Board members voted in stalemate on the issue.

Again, on the 21st, the pro-Maier forces "packed the House at the Millennium Centre" with nearly 30 or so (if not more) deputy sheriffs, administrators as well as highfalutin Stark County Democrats such as:

• Chairman Randy Gonzalez,
• Kody Gonzalez (recently appointed by Phil Giavasis to succeed father Randy as chief deputy of the Canton Municipal Court),
• Phil Giavasis himself who is thought to the the "heir-apparent" of Randy as Stark Dems chairman,
• Louis Giavasis, Plain Township trustee and Stark County Clerk of Court Car Title Czar under brother Phil's choice to succeed him as Stark County clerk of courts; namely, Nancy Reinbold, whom Louis Giavasis will likely succeed as clerk of courts when she retires,

All the "packing the House" has not worked for the Maier supporters.

Even a last minute (about 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, the 20th Maier forces surreptitiously filing  of "popularity-based" petitions (signed by some 73 deputies and administrators) had no effect on the outcome of the Friday vote.

It was a two Republicans versus two Democrats tie vote and a Republican Ohio secretary of state is going to have to break the tie.

So now the question becomes for the Maier supporters, (it is desperation time) for Democrats to convince Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted to defy all expectations and side with Stark Democratic Party Democrat board members Sam Ferruccio, Jr and Deametrious St. John?

You've have probably guess the answer by now.

Indeed, the SCPR thinks that the deep thinkers of the Maier effort have done another dumb thing.

THE ALLEGED DIRTY TRICK

February 25, 2014 

The alleged "dirty trick" is what seems to be (a la the petition effort cited below) to create an illusion of the springing up of a Stark County-based "grass roots" effort to persuade Ohio's secretary of state to break a two to two tie between Stark County Republicans Curt Braden and William S. Cline in favor of George Maier.

Since February 25th of last month (a mere five [5] days ago), the "mob-esque" effort appears to taken on an "ugly" tone to the point that the SCPR thinks smacks of "dirty politics."



To repeat from the graphic of this blog:

Mr. Larry Dordea, OH

Feb 25, 13:08

# 51

Politicians in Columbus should put petty politics aside and place Sheriff Maier on the ballot! Don't deny the people of Stark county an opportunity to select who they believe is most qualified to be Stark County Sheriff. Sheriff Maier has demonstrated his strong qualifications, and leads by example!

Larry Dordea flat out denies that the statement is his.

And it is likely that he will be able to prove it.

If he does, then any chance that the Maier folks had to convince Husted to go their way, is lost, absolutely lost!

Dordea will have plenty of highly capable help in his pursuit of "the dirty trickster."

Enter one of Maier's most persistent and dogged pursurers.

Let's have a drum-roll please.

Indeed!

Craig T Conley makes another entrance!!!

Conley is already dogging Maier in:

• Marcelli v. Maier which is a "recover for the Stark County taxpayers" lawsuit" for Maier receipts of salary/benefits and for rebranding expenditures made by him during his usurping tenure as sheriff for the period February, 11 2013 through November 6, 2013,
• Swanson v. Maier in which Swanson seeks to dip into the personal pocket of Maier to recover salary and benefits he lost for the period Maier usurped, and
• Balas-Bratton v. Maier in the above-reference protest of Maier's candidacy for the Democratic nomination to run for McDonald's unexpired term as sheriff

Here is a copy of the letter that Conley fired off to Maier late in the day yesterday:

February 28, 2014

TO:    Candidate George T. Maier
          c/o STARK COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

FROM:  Craig T. Conley, Esq. 

RE:    Candidate  Larry Dordea

As you are certainly aware, your supporters (presumably at your behest) are circulating an electronic Petition through www.thepetitionsite.com entitled "Let the voters decide! Put Sheriff George Maier on the ballot!", with the listed "target" thereon identified as Ohio Secretary of State John [sic] Husted.

As you also are certainly aware, the Secretary of State, as the Protest statutory "tie-breaker", is acting in a guasi-judicial capacity and therefore may not, as a matter of law, allow himself to be influenced by that Petition or by any other public pressure.

The gross imprudence of the Petition drive aside, I call your attention to Petition item #51, which was purportedly "signed" by "Mr. Larry Dordea, OH'' who purportedly added the personal comment "Politicians in Columbus should put petty politics aside and place Sheriff Maier on the ballot! Don't deny the people of Stark county an opportunity to select who they believe is most qualified to be Stark County Sheriff. Sheriff Maier has demonstrated his strong qualifications, and leads by example!".

In short, I have spoken with Candidate Dordea directly and he has emphatically denied that he "signed" that Petition; i.e., that same is. fraudulent, (Of course, you are free to confirm that with Candidate Dordea yourself.)

I therefore respectfully suggest that you should immediately cause that fraudulent Petition "signature" and attendant personal comment to be  deleted, that you should  instruct your  supporters  not to engage in any similar such fraudulent activity in the future and that you should issue a written published apology to Candidate Dordea, who, as you can imagine, is less than pleased with the unauthorized use of his name and supposed personal comment.

Please immediately advise.

cc:  Ohio Attorney General
       Ohio Secretary of State
       Stark County Prosecuting Attorney

(A SCPR NOTE:  Should any of the folks listed in this blog deny that he/she is the person purported to have signed on as a George T. Maier supporter on THEPETITIONSITE.COM, feel free to email the SCPR at tramols@att.net or telephone your denial to 330 499 0465 and The Report will supplement this blog publishing the denial.)



Hmm?

That Kody is presented as the first signatory, "is he the 'one'" who started all this?

Brothers Phil and Louis vote twice, unless, of course there is another Phil and Louis who live in Ohio who have an overriding interest in seeing George T. Maier become Mike McDonald's replacement as Stark County sheriff.

It seems to the SCPR and many other Stark Countians that the pro-Maier folks have sought to make the decision of the BOE a "popularity" decision; not a proceeding, the decision on which was based on "the rule of law" prevailing.

To The Report, it is a strange day indeed in America, Ohio and the County of Stark that a man who would be sheriff and thereby Stark County's top law enforcer (i.e. Stark County's "top cop") to stand by and allow his supporters to weigh-in on the BOE and Ohio's secretary of state as if Stark's and Ohio's elections officials were conducting an popular vote referendum on Maier's candidacy.

No doubt, when he and his men and women make arrests on Stark Countians are thought to have violated "the rule of law" in this county, they are not interested in having the arrested person's relatives, friends, and neighbors show up on the scene of the arrest or later at the Stark County offices at 4500 Atlantic Boulevard to lobby, or still later at a court trial of the matter insisting that the decision of whether or not to proceed based on the merits of the law on the matter, not be on the merits but rather on their numbers and their view that the merits have already been decided in their minds and the case should be dropped or dismissed.

In the SCPR's mind, this is of the ilk of mobocracy.

It brings to mind the scene that we all have seen in old time Western movies in which a mob shows up at the town jail en-masse either demanding the immediate lynching of the jailed person or that the charged one be freed and freed immediately!

Either way, this is not an exercise of "the rule of law."

It is demonstration of "power politics" in which emotionally charged up citizens are manipulated by a few "knowing" politicos into forcing the will of "the few" on those charged with the duty of implementing "the rule of law."

It ia a low point within the Stark County "body politic" that what appears to the SCPR to be a 21st Century Stark County version of mobocracy seems to be in full play in our county at the hand of the Johnnie A. Maier Jr connected and led (from his perch as vice executive chair) organized Stark County Democratic Party.

The non-Maier Democrats ought to rise up and take control of the Party apparatus and give it life for the realization of the goals of the broad spectrum of folks who subscribe to the political philosophy of the national Democratic point of view.

It seems that the current leadership of the Stark Dems has allowed and steered the Party into becoming a mechanism of realizing the personal political goals of the group the SCPR has in a previous blog tabbed as being "the Maier Loyalty Club."

Here are some other notable Stark County political names purporting to have logged in as supporting the George Maier petition initiative, to wit:

The "brains" behind the Maier for Sheriff has done another politically dumb thing with their "PetitionOnlineSite" caper.

They have a goal of getting 5,000 signatures by March 14th which given that they have only collected about 400 after about a week of trying probably is not going to happen.

The Maier "brain trust" is not likely one that many Stark Countians are going to be trusting in the coming days.