43
Rimedio-Righetti expects subpoena in Oakhill case
and David Skolnick
YOUNGSTOWN
Mahoning County Commissioner Carol Rimedio-Righetti, whose campaign finances have come up in grand-jury testimony, said she expects to receive a subpoena but doesn’t know its purpose.
“As of right now, I have been told that I will be receiving one,” Rimedio-Righetti said after Thursday’s county commissioners’ meeting.
Rimedio-Righetti, a Democrat, didn’t say who told her she’d receive a subpoena, and she could not be reached for further comment later in the day.
Damian Billak, her attorney, said the subpoena is coming from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office but declined to say more until after speaking with that office.
Dan Tierney, a spokesman for the AG’s office, declined Thursday to comment on the matter.
Mahoning County Prosecutor Paul J. Gains said his office didn’t issue the subpoena.
A Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office spokesman was checking Thursday whether the subpoena is for a grand jury investigation in his county, but couldn’t give an immediate answer.
Rimedio-Righetti acknowledged that fireworks executive Bruce Zoldan was a contributor to her 2010 campaign for county commissioner.
“Bruce gave me a contribution and it was reported, and that’s all I’m going to say about it,” Rimedio-Righetti said.
“Why I may be receiving this, or what this is about, I have no idea,” Rimedio-Righetti said of the subpoena.
Rimedio-Righetti said she would fully cooperate with a subpoena if she were to receive one.
Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation affidavits say Zoldan testified twice before a Cuyahoga County grand jury investigating the Oakhill Renaissance Place criminal-corruption case that Anthony Cafaro Sr., former head of his family-owned retail development business, offered to reimburse him for political donations.
Zoldan testified that Cafaro offered to reimburse him for a 2010 contribution to Rimedio-Righetti’s successful campaign for commissioner.
Zoldan told The Vindicator last month that he rejected that offer.
“I mentioned to [Rimedio-Righetti] that [Cafaro] offered it, but it never happened,” Zoldan said.
Campaign-finance records show Bruce and Rori Zoldan gave Rimedio-Righetti’s election committee $3,000 on March 22, 2010, and $10,000 on April 26, 2010.
State law considers it a crime for anyone to “knowingly conceal or misrepresent contributions given or received, expenditures made or any other information required to be reported.”
The affidavits also stated a confidential informant “reliable to both federal and state law enforcement agencies for a number of years” provided information that Cafaro used others to donate money to Rimedio-Righetti when she ran in 2010 against then-Commissioner David Ludt, “a political enemy of Anthony Cafaro,” and that Rimedio-Righetti, who beat Ludt in the Democratic primary, “has admitted such to persons in the Mahoning County government.”
The affidavits also state that J.J. Cafaro, Anthony Sr.’s brother and a former Cafaro Co. executive, was asked in front of a grand jury about his brother’s request to Zoldan. He stated his brother must have told Rimedio-Righetti about it.
The same informant said Rimedio-Righetti and Carol McFall, chief deputy to ex-county Auditor Michael V. Sciortino, talked about Cafaro reimbursing people to donate to Rimedio-Righetti’s campaign. The commissioner denied having such a conversation.
McFall is cooperating with prosecutors, according to a source close to the investigation.
Cafaro, Zoldan and Rimedio-Righetti are not charged with any crime.
The AG’s office has led a political corruption probe of the county that has led to the convictions of ex-Probate Court Judge Mark Belinky and former state Rep. Ronald V. Gerberry, both Democrats who resigned their office in exchange for their resignations and cooperation into further investigations.
The office is also the lead prosecutor in the Oakhill case with Youngstown Mayor John A. McNally, ex-county Prosecutor Michael V. Sciortino, both Democrats, and attorney Martin Yavorcik, a failed 2008 independent candidate, who are facing a total of 83 criminal charges including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, bribery, conspiracy, perjury and money laundering. They’ve pleaded not guilty.