WARREN Campaign finances probed

One commissioner questioned the timing of the probe before an election.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
and STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Campaign finance records of Trumbull County Sheriff Thomas Altiere, Commissioners Joseph Angelo and James Tsagaris and former Commissioner Michael J. O'Brien have been turned over to an auditor with the state attorney general's office.
The auditor requested and received the information last week, said Norma Williams, director of the county elections board.
"He wanted everything we have on those four from 1999 forward," Williams said. "I have no clue as to why he wanted those records. It took us quite a long time to make all the copies."
Since September 2002, the state attorney general's office and the state auditor's office have been working with Prosecutor Dennis Watkins on an investigation into the county's purchasing practices.
"I can't comment on any of this right now since it is an ongoing investigation," Watkins said.
Question of timing
The requested records are all public and have been open for inspection for years, Angelo said. He questioned why the auditor would ask to see his records just a few months before the primary election.
"Of course it is because of the election," he said.
He said he didn't know what investigators might be looking for, but he said he had nothing to hide.
O'Brien, who is now mayor of Warren, stated he has no problem with anyone looking at the records.
Tsagaris and Altiere said they didn't know why the records were requested.
"These records have been looked at before," Altiere said. "I have no idea why they would want them."
Since the purchasing investigation began, six people have been indicted, including former maintenance director Tony Delmont and his wife, Karen.
The Vindicator published an article in September 2002 that Delmont and his wife gave $1,100 to Altiere over a four-year period, bank records for the sheriff's election campaign show.
Check records
Three of the five checks to Altiere from the Delmonts' joint checking account were not listed on his campaign finance reports.
They are, however, listed on bank records subpoenaed and entered into evidence at an Ohio Elections Commission hearing held in 2001.
Two of the checks, signed by Karen Delmont, were made out to "cash."
Delmont has said that he does not remember making donations to Altiere and does not think he donated to any other political campaigns.
Altiere said that the Delmonts probably gave him the money at a fund-raiser.
Altiere also accepted two checks for $500 each from Lid Chem, a Canfield company. Company officers Linda and Terry Maiorana were indicted and pleaded innocent to bribery, money laundering and theft.
Altiere was ultimately required to return the Lid Chem donations because candidates for county office are not permitted to take donations from corporations.
sinkovich@vindy.comsiff@vindy.com