Prosecutor calls for a criminal investigation but

She says someone else should do it...

Lucas County Prosecutor Julia Bates said a criminal investigation of Mayor Carty Finkbeiner would be appropriate to determine if he violated a state law by trying to raise funds to supplement the salary of Toledo Public Schools Superintendent Eugene Sanders.

But she said it would be a misdemeanor offense, and a job for the city law director.

"It is something that needs to be looked at, but it should be looked at by the city," she said.

"We are not going to be getting involved in what could be a problematic misdemeanor investigation," the prosecutor added.

Worth pointing out is that if the Mayor were to be convicted, he would have to step down as Mayor and the current Council President who is currently Rob Ludeman would take his place.

Rob Ludeman as quoted by the Blade:

"It appears to me that it's clearly wrong, if in fact there was an attempt to increase the compensation of another public official above and beyond what their contractual wages and benefits package is," Mr. Ludeman said.

He said he was "not specifi-cally aware" of whatever efforts the mayor may have undertaken to raise money for the superintendent's compensation.

"I think the prosecutor has an obligation to the public to look into any alleged improprieties, and it sounds like that course has been initiated," Mr. Ludeman said.

Evidently Mr. Ludeman was not aware that the Prosecutor was not going to look into this.

Bob Reinbolt, Carty's Chief of Staff maintains that no money was collected that it was only a brainstorming session and they would have verified it was allowed under Ohio Law before they did anything. Yet, you would think before you would decide to try to get funding and offer it to Mr. Sanders it would have been appropriate to make sure it was legal. Let's say he would have accepted the concept of being offered more money or a car to stay here. Then what? Sorry Sanders, we'd love to give it to you but it's not legal...