Report angers retirees

The ethics commission report is incomplete, an attorney says.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
and STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Trustees of the Police and Fire Retirees of Ohio should quit, local members say.
Ray Bagaglia, vice president of the state organization and president of the local chapter, said members are outraged by an Ohio Ethics Commission report that states trustees were treated to vacations and given tickets to sporting events.
"They have no business being the trustees," Bagaglia said. "I have received so many calls from the 130 members of the local chapter that are very upset about this. The trustees should resign."
The Police and Fire Retirees of Ohio represents more than 25,000 retired police and fire personnel and their families.
Released last week
The ethics commission report was released last week and given to the Franklin County prosecutor, said Bagaglia and Gary Monto, president of the retirees' organization.
According to the report, the commission forwarded the information to the prosecutor for review of "possible felony and misdemeanor violations."
"The commission is also continuing its investigation into whether there is evidence of bribery or conflict of interest in the awarding of disability retirements by trustees in relationship to their roles on the Police and Fire Pension Fund," the ethics report states.
Monto, of Toledo, said the allegations are "appalling and scandalous to say the least."
"Accepting trips and other gratuities from these vendors for their benefit is a serious breach of their fiduciary responsibility," Monto said.
Trustees could not be reached to comment.
Attorney's response
However, Atty. Ritchey Hollenbaugh, who represents two of the trustees, David Harker, a firefighter from Dayton, and Thomas Bennett, a Dayton police detective, says the ethics commission report is incomplete.
"The ethics commission didn't interview my clients, and they didn't look at all the information they received from all the vendors," Hollenbaugh said. "They only looked at four vendors."
An official with the ethics commission declined to comment.
Hollenbaugh also stressed that anytime any trustee went on a trip, the matter was brought up to the attention of the full board.
"My clients would rely on the seminars to gain background into pension investments and to learn what it's all about," Hollenbaugh said.
sinkovich@vindy.com siff@vindy.com