Kitchen resigns as mayor’s chief of staff

Kitchen resigns as mayor’s chief of staff

YOUNGSTOWN

Failed mayoral candidate DeMaine Kitchen resigned, effective today, as chief of staff/secretary to the mayor, a job he’s held since August 2011.

“Unfortunately, this past election did not go as we had hoped,” Kitchen wrote in a letter to Mayor Charles Sammarone. “As a result, it is unlikely that I will be around to continue” working for the city when Youngstown Mayor-elect John McNally IV is sworn in next month.

Kitchen wrote that he resigned “in order to pursue career opportunities in the private sector.”

Kitchen, who earned $74,187 annually, made no mention in his resignation letter about an ongoing sexual harassment complaint filed against him by Lyndsey Hughes, the city’s downtown director of events, special projects and marketing.

Kitchen has repeatedly denied the allegations, and called them politically motivated as Hughes is a supporter of McNally, elected mayor on Nov. 5.

The investigation was launched Oct. 7 by Steve Sample, a retired Summit County sheriff’s detective hired by the city.

It is expected to be finished Friday, said city Law Director Anthony Farris.

The investigation has been slowed as Sample waits for reports from a technology lab checking the legitimacy of sexually-explicit text messages on Hughes’ cell phone that her attorneys have said were sent to her by Kitchen.

“It’s been there for a few weeks,” Farris said.

The rest of the investigation is complete, he said.

For the complete story, read Tuesday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com