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Top aides to Ohio's treasurer convicted
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| Contributor | ... |
| Last Edited | ... Jul 28, 2004 10:40am |
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| Category | Scandal |
| News Date | Wednesday, July 28, 2004 06:00:00 AM UTC0:0 |
| Description | Wednesday, July 28, 2004
John Caniglia and Julie Carr Smyth
Plain Dealer Reporters
Two top aides to Ohio Treasurer Joe Deters were convicted Tuesday in a scheme that gave special treatment to Deters' biggest campaign donors.
Former chief of staff Matthew Borges and fund-raiser Eric Sagun pleaded guilty to misdemeanors in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court in connection with contributions from brokers, including imprisoned Frank Gruttadauria. Deters' supporters said a Democratic prosecutor with statewide ambition picked on their clients, who are Republicans.
Prosecutors scoffed.
"We didn't go looking for this case," said A. Steven Dever, an assistant county prosecutor. "It found us when we began looking into Gruttadauria and his former firms. We couldn't turn a blind eye to this. How could we?"
Sagun's attorney, Charles Saxbe, said: "This is the best that they can do after 14 months? Go figure. . . . You can call it whatever you want."
Sagun, 35, of Columbus, pleaded guilty to an election law violation for concealing a $50,000 donation to Deters from Gruttadauria in December 2001. Judge Eileen Gallagher fined him $5,000.
Borges, 32, of Columbus, pleaded guilty to the unauthorized use of a public office for securing preferential treatment for brokers who made campaign contributions.
Prosecutors said Borges instructed the state investments director to dole out state securities business to a "short list" of politically generous brokers.
Gallagher fined him $1,000, and he could have faced six months in jail. Borges was 27 when he began running Deters' office.
Deters is not suspected of any wrongdoing, and the agreements do not call for the men to cooperate against him. Prosecutors said they believe Deters, a former get- tough prosecutor, was a poor manager who was unaware of his aides' crimes.
But prosecutors stressed that the investigation into the treasurer's campaign contributions continues.
"We could not make any t |
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