POLITICS Boles: 'I don't plan to just die'

Despite his criminal record, the ex-councilman couldn't stay out of public life.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Clarence Boles was at home in his pajamas late Tuesday morning, getting a start on a self-imposed exile from public life through year's end.
But the former 6th Ward city council member said he expects to re-inject himself into local politics again next year, albeit behind the scenes.
"I don't plan to just die," he said in an hourlong phone interview.
Boles expects to be involved as black political leaders decide which of the many candidates to back in next year's mayoral election.
"I'll be one of the kingmakers," he said. "Next year is going to be some good politics."
Boles, 55, of Idlewood Avenue, resigned his seat a week ago, hours after The Vindicator questioned him about his felony convictions. His record includes two felonies involving abuse of a small child.
Convicted felons cannot hold public office. If they have one felony conviction it can be expunged; Boles had two.
Why he resigned
Boles said his supporters urged him to fight to keep the job. He chose to resign immediately, however, because such a battle wouldn't be fair to his family or city council, he said. Mahoning County Prosecutor Paul J. Gains said he would have filed a lawsuit to remove Boles from office.
Boles also said he didn't want to be "beat up" regularly by The Vindicator's editorial pages and endure repeated calls for his resignation.
Boles maintains he sought and held a school board seat, and later the council seat, under the impression that his criminal record had been erased. Despite the assertion, he doesn't have any court-related paperwork showing the charges expunged.
Boles acknowledges being involved in the episodes listed in his criminal record. Besides the child abuse convictions, he has a 1974 conviction on a charge of defrauding a garage keeper and a 1987 conviction for driving under the influence.
Boles, however, denies he committed child abuse or defrauded anyone. Instead, Boles said he took plea deals because he couldn't prove his innocence.
Explanation
Boles said he took the plea in the child abuse case to protect the woman he was involved with. Boles said he was planning to marry the woman, who had a baby daughter from a previous relationship. Boles said neither he nor the woman abused the child. They suspected the baby's father of committing the abuse, he said. Police charged him and the woman, however, since they were the primary caregivers, he said.
Boles said he took the deal because the woman also faced jail time and his move spared her from prison.
"I had no physical part in the pain and suffering this child suffered," he said. "I went to jail for a woman I loved."
Boles said he put his criminal troubles behind him but wasn't satisfied to remain out of public life. Instead, he sought public office, starting in the early 1990s. Boles said that he enjoyed volunteer work and politics and that seeking public office in the city was the next step.
"I'd made my contribution. That was the natural progression for me," he said. "It was a 30-year dream. That would have been it. It could have capped off my life, my life of service."
He won't offer to return the money that either he or his aide -- his wife, Elatrice -- were paid during his time in office. Boles said he and his wife worked hard on many housing and business development projects he hopes his successor will continue.
Dissatisfied on council
Boles said he started considering whether to resign about a month ago, but not because of the criminal record.
Instead, Boles said he was tired of council members' opposing items not on merit, but because he brought them up. He cited council's rejection of taxing big lottery winnings and his failed pursuit to have council investigate minority-hiring practices in public construction projects.
"They were extinguishing my fire," Boles said.
rgsmith@vindy.com