The Mayor of Youngstown, the Mahoning County auditor and a former politician are scheduled to be arraigned today on corruption-related charges. They were indicted earlier this month on charges related to an effort from 2005 to 2008 to prevent the move of county offices. Nick Castele of member station WCPN in Cleveland reports.
A Cuyahoga County grand jury indicted Youngstown Mayor John McNally, Mahoning County Auditor Michael Sciortino and former prosecutor candidate Martin Yavorcik on numerous charges, including bribery and tampering with records.
The indictment alleges McNally, as a Mahoning County Commissioner, and Sciortino improperly accepted legal services in connection with a local businessman’s attempt to stop the county’s job and family services department from moving from a building his company owned to a development called the Oakhill Renaissance Center.
The three indicted men are also accused of trying to cover up the alleged conspiracy.
Mayor McNally says he’ll plead not guilty to all charges.
MCNALLY: “Unfortunately the issues related to the purchase of the Oakhill Renaissance Center, which is basically an older, what I consider to be a rundown hospital structure that’s not suitable for government office space…quite frankly, the battle continues on this.”
Martin Yavorcik, the candidate for prosecutor, will also plead not guilty, says his attorney Jennifer Scott.
SCOTT: “He adamantly is denying any validity to the charges that have been brought against him.”
The men faced charges in a similar case in Mahoning County in 2010. A judge dismissed that case, and now Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine’s office is bringing this one in Cuyahoga County.
Sciortino and his attorney couldn’t be reached for comment. The Youngstown Vindicator reports Sciortino told the newspaper earlier this month, “From the bottom of my heart, I really believe I didn’t do anything wrong.”