Big financial push fails to help Altiere win primary

April 26, 2016 at 12:02a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

A big financial push by Trumbull County Sheriff Thomas Altiere in the final weeks leading to the March 15 Democratic primary didn’t help him turn back the challenge of Howland Police Chief Paul Monroe.

Campaign finance reports show Altiere raised $27,890 and spent $36,140 between Feb. 25 to April 15, referred to the post-primary filing period. Much of it was raised and spent before the March 15 primary.

Monroe’s campaign received $12,950 and spent $16,322 during the same time period.

Monroe beat Altiere, a six-term incumbent, by more than 6 percentage points in last month’s Democratic primary.

Between the second half of 2015 until this past Feb. 24, Monroe spent $58,817 compared with $19,651 for Altiere.

Monroe doesn’t have a general-election opponent.

In the only contested primary in Mahoning County, Recorder Noralynn Palermo raised $14,245 to win the Democratic primary over Jim Bertrando of Struthers, who received $10,560 in contributions.

Palermo, who beat Bertrando by more than 40 percentage points, will face Republican Steven M. Carter in the November general election.

County Prosecutor Paul J. Gains, a Democrat, spent $40,088 in the post-primary period. Of that amount, Gains’ campaign repaid a $27,900 loan he gave his campaign, and a $12,000 loan from Nicholas E. Modarelli, his chief assistant prosecutor.

The loans came in October 2008, a month before Gains beat Martin Yavorcik, running as an independent, by 38 percentage points.

Yavorcik was found guilty March 25 of eight felonies – including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, conspiracy, bribery, money laundering and tamping with records – for taking about $140,000 in bribes during that 2008 campaign.

In exchange for the money, Yavorcik agreed to kill an investigation into alleged criminal activity by public officials and Cafaro Co. executives.

A judge sentenced Yavorcik on Friday to five years of probation with the first year on house arrest.

Also, the Operating Engineers Local #66 of Boardman contributed between $1,000 and $2,500 – a total of $23,000 – to 11 Democrats in Mahoning and Trumbull counties running in last month’s primary.

Among the contributions from the labor union were $2,500 each to Gains and Mahoning County Engineer Patrick T. Ginnetti, and $2,000 to Trumbull County Engineer Randy Smith.

Gains, Ginnetti and Smith didn’t face opponents in the Democratic primary and don’t have general-election opponents.