Cong. OH-13: Foltin (R) Resists Firing Convicted City Official

As reported in the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, late on Thursday a jury convicted Lorain Safety-Service Director Craig Miller of obstruction of justice after deliberating 11½ hours over two days. Miller tried to deceive Lorain police when they were investigating a November 2002 deal in which Lorain Sewer Superintendent Doug Johnson leased an excavator and a bulldozer he owns to the city using a friend’s name as lessor to avoid any appearance of a conflict. Johnson was convicted last month of unlawful interest in a public contract and theft in office and is awaiting sentencing.

13th District Congressional candidate Betty Sutton (D-Copley) called on her opponent, Lorain Mayor Craig Foltin (R), to fire Miller. “It is unacceptable that Foltin has consistently refused to hold Craig Miller accountable,” she said. “Craig Foltin has a duty to the taxpayers to immediately fire Craig Miller and remove this convicted felon from the taxpayers’ payroll.”

Foltin, however, is resisting the idea of firing Miller. “The bottom line is this caught everybody off guard, no one anticipated a guilty verdict,” Foltin said. “I’d like Craig to stick around.” Foltin said his loyalty to Miller has nothing to do with the congressional race.“ Craig Miller is not important to what happens in Washington,” he said. The Lorain Morning Journal reports today that Lorain Law Director Mark Provenza is researching whether Craig Miller can keep his job as the city's safety-service director.

In a press release yesterday, Sutton takes Foltin to task. "Craig Foltin has made it clear that he is unable to grasp what is wrong with the culture of corruption that is so rampant in government today, both here in Ohio and in Washington DC," said Sutton. "Craig Foltin's administration is a laboratory for criminal activity and disregard for the law, and it clearly mirrors what is happening in Washington. From Craig Miller to Bob Taft to Bob Ney, the culture of corruption at all levels of our government is unacceptable, and it's hurting ordinary people. That Craig Foltin doesn't think that this is either important or serious is unbelievable and beyond troubling. The last thing that we need is to send Bush and Cheney someone who supports their unethical way of doing business."