Former City Council Member To Plead Guilty To Misdemeanor Ethics Violation

The attorney for former Columbus City Council member Michelle Mills says she will plead guilty this morning to a misdemeanor ethics charge for failing to properly disclose the value of a 2014 trip to an Ohio State football game with other elected officials and a convicted lobbyist. The Democrat will plead guilty to filing a false financial-disclosure statement. She resigned in August 2015. Mills and three other council members took a trip to Indianapolis to see the Big Ten championship game with lobbyist John Raphael, who is serving prison time for his role in the Redflex bribery scandal.  Mills  either failed to immediately pay 250 dollars for the trip, or disclose it on her ethics forms as a gift. The attorney says Mills reimbursed the city this week. Others who attended the game are council member Shannon Hardin, former council member Eileen Pailey, and former council president and current Mayor Andy Ginther