High court cites ex-county auditor Sciortino for contempt

Staff report

COLUMBUS

Former Mahoning County auditor Michael V. Sciortino, convicted in the Oakhill Renaissance Place corruption scandal, has been found in contempt of the Ohio Supreme Court, according to Monday filings.

Sciortino failed to file an affidavit by a Jan. 14 deadline showing he is complying with the court’s indefinite suspension of his law license, handed down in December. He may now face additional sanctions from the court.

The Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court convicted Sciortino in February 2016 on a felony count of having an unlawful interest in a public contract and misdemeanor counts of falsification and receiving or soliciting improper compensation related to the Oakhill Renaissance Place scandal.

He and former Youngs-town Mayor John A. McNally were accused of improperly trying to stop Mahoning County’s purchase of the Oakhill property, the former Forum Health Southside Medical Center, when McNally was serving as county commissioner.

Sciortino also was convicted May 2016 of single felony and misdemeanor counts relating to his unauthorized use of Mahoning County computers while in office, after being originally indicted on 25 counts in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. He was sentenced to four to six months in a halfway house and was released from probation in August.

Sciortino served as Mahoning County auditor from September 2005 to February 2015. He did not complete his final term.