County manager charged in Ohio corruption probe

July 31, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

A county government manager was charged in a wide-ranging federal investigation Friday with bribing an elected official who had appointed him with cash, gifts and phony loans that weren’t repaid.

The U.S. attorney’s office charged Daniel Weaver, 44, of Westlake, the Cuyahoga County information services center director, with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery between 2005 and 2008.

He allegedly offered cash, gifts and phony no-repayment “loans” of up to $500 to an official in the auditor’s office in return for favors involving projects that would benefit him.

Court documents did not name the official but said that person appointed Weaver and approved hiring by Weaver.

The official was described in a court filing as routinely getting $100 gift cards, cash in amounts of $50 or $100, ties and birthday and Christmas gifts. The official also asked for money to cover meal expenses and in 2008 asked for $1,000, the filing said.

Prosecutors have identified Auditor Frank Russo, a leading Democrat, as a target of the broader investigation. Russo hasn’t been charged and denies wrongdoing.

His spokesman, Destin Ramsey, said Russo’s staff was shocked by the charge and noted that Russo doesn’t control the center, which handles computer purchases and leases for county government. Ramsey said Russo wasn’t available for comment.

Thomas Edward Shaughnessy, Weaver’s attorney, said his client resigned Friday and hadn’t benefited financially in return for the alleged bribes. He declined to identify who received the alleged bribes from Weaver.

“I think he found himself in an atmosphere where he made some decisions he obviously regrets,” Shaughnessy said. “He received no benefit, no monetary benefit from this. It didn’t cost the taxpayers one dime.”

Weaver has cooperated in the investigation, Shaughnessy said.

Nearly three dozen people have pleaded guilty in the two-year federal investigation of county government. Pleas have come from county employees, contractors and public officials, often involving bribes in return for jobs and government contracts.

The investigation began with raids on the offices of Russo and his political ally, county Commissioner Jimmy Dimora. Like Russo, Dimora hasn’t been charged and has vigorously denied wrongdoing.

The investigation helped spur voter approval of a change in county government, effective next year, from three commissioners to a county executive and elected 11-member county council.

Neither Russo nor Dimora, former chairman of the powerful county Democratic Party, has filed to run for office in the new county government.