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C&P Newswire
The long-awaited jury trial for suspended East Cleveland Mayor Brandon King and former Councilman Ernest Smith is scheduled to begin Monday morning in Cuyahoga County, following months of legal maneuvering and mounting allegations of corruption.
The trial had previously been delayed from its original May 5 date after King’s legal team filed a motion requesting that Common Pleas Judge Hollie Gallagher recuse herself from the case. The Ohio Supreme Court rejected that request earlier this month, allowing Judge Gallagher to remain on the bench.
King, who was formally indicted on October 10, 2024, faces a litany of charges tied to alleged misuse of public office for personal gain. He was suspended from office on January 28.
Charges against King include:
Two counts of theft in office
Four counts of having an unlawful interest in a public contract
Four counts of representation by a public official or employee
Filing a false disclosure statement
Soliciting improper compensation
Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley has described King’s actions as a “complete disregard and disdain for the rule of law,” accusing him of steering public contracts and payments toward businesses he and his family own.
According to prosecutors, King arranged for the City of East Cleveland to lease office space for its Domestic Violence Department from King Management Group Limited, a company owned by King and his family. Additionally, from 2019 to 2022, the city reportedly purchased more than $5,800 in cleaning supplies from American Merchandising Services, another family-owned business.
In a further twist, King is also accused of enabling former councilman Ernest Smith to improperly use a city vehicle over several years and providing him with city gas cards. Investigators allege that Smith charged $6,791 worth of gasoline to the city between 2018 and 2022.
Smith’s charges include:
Theft in office
Two counts of theft
Soliciting improper compensation
Misuse of credit cards
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