State Dems to investigate Polivka, Trumbull Dems

COLUMBUS

The Ohio Democratic Party Executive Committee moved Wednesday to investigate complaints that the Trumbull County party broke state and national bylaws in its selection of an interim county commissioner.

The resolution, offered by Mahoning County Democratic Party Chairman David Betras, calls for a three-person panel to review the complaint and determine whether Trumbull Chairman Dan Polivka and others “knowingly violated” party bylaws.

“The executive committee has no tolerance for those who want to shirk their responsibilities and have no concern for the bylaws,” said Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern, adding later, “With all do respect to the chairman, he is wrong.”

Legal counsel for Polivka said afterward they were satisfied with the outcome, calling it a victory.

“Our point all along was that we want the Ohio Democratic Party and Chris Redfern in particular to follow his own constitution, follow the constitutional procedures that are in place when disputes like this arise,” said attorney Jeffrey Goodman. “And he’s been popping off in the media and to anyone who will listen about things that he’s going to do and things that he thinks he’s done. ... Dan Polivka didn’t do anything wrong. The Trumbull County party didn’t do anything wrong.”

Polivka added later, “We’ve been fighting the good fight and will continue to fight the good fight.”

At issue are secret ballots used by the Trumbull County Democratic Party in July to select Mauro Cantalamessa as interim county commissioner, replacing Paul Heltzel, who died in office. The selection was affirmed publicly by Trumbull party members, via a voice vote.

Legal counsel for Polivka said the secret ballot was allowed under the county party’s bylaws, though state and national party bylaws require public votes.

But Redfern called for a public revote of the commissioner selection and said he would otherwise push for Polivka’s removal as county chairman.

“There’s no debate — it’s not, hey, let’s negotiate or compromise,” Redfern said. “ You can’t have secret ballots, it’s against the rules.”

The resolution adopted by the state party’s executive committee Wednesday night calls for a three-person panel — headed by Tim Burke and including Bill DeMora and Martha Campbell — to examine the Trumbull party’s bylaws and the commissioner selection process and determine if violations occurred.

Read more about the dispute in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.