Cuyahoga County intends to contract with the law firm of McDonald Hopkins for statewide lobbying, two sources with knowledge of the plans tell Scene. Reached for comment, county spokesperson Mary Louise Madigan would only say, “A contract has not been signed.”
Coincidentally, or not, the public law/lobbying division of the firm includes Dean DePiero, the law director for Aurora, former mayor of Parma, and longtime personal friend and political ally of Bill Mason.
Bill Mason’s appointment as chief of staff to Armond Budish was announced last week. He will officially start the job in July.
There may be very good and varied reasons for which the county would make the move on from Benesch, which had been contracted for lobbying previously, and there may be very good and varied reasons why the county believes McDonald Hopkins is better suited for the role, but the optics here are bad and undeniable. Of course, it could also switch course, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. (A source said the contract would be finalized early next week.)
While some believed that Mason had outgrown an entire career based on patronage and rewarding political allies and friends with jobs, others cautioned that it was a track record too strong to ignore.
This news, coming a week after the announcement Mason would be joining Armond Budish’s administration, is evidence that one side of that debate was likely correct.
This article appears in Jun 19-25, 2019.
Well surprise, surprise, its the same old, same old, corrupt, democratic hacks from a long time ago!!!
Can we please remove thief Budish out of office now and send him right to jail??? This seems to be the only way to stop this utter nonsense from taking place virtually daily now in this corruption-filled, outrageously high-taxed County!!!
I have nothing against any of these people, but enough is enough. We’re old. Where are the young leaders?
^ They are posting on Twitter and Facebook thinking that takes a difference.
Thank GOD our wise and benevolent “leaders” enacted county government “reform” to throw the bad actors out of office…So the GCP could help the County graduate from small-time corruption to big-time larceny…and not illegal corruption, either, but the kind perpetrated by guys with expensive lawyers and real nice suits, to make certain they do not run afoul of the law (if it does, they’ll happily change the law, as long it involves taxes on others)…Because in Cleveland politics, if it ain’t TECHNICALLY illegal, it must be right…
Didn’t the RFP for this lobbying contract go out like 6 weeks ago? You all going to accuse Bill Mason of having a time machine next?
wow breaking who coulda predicted
I remember Dean! Boy did he get off easy! And to think he’s a law director in Aurora? Wow! How did he skate? Had something to do with the Justice Center contractor and a home he was having built? Should be rooming with Demora!”