The Continuing Cuyahoga County Saga

I have long stated that the FBI investigation into the fiasco & corruption with the airport runway project, the Cleveland Water Dept. corruption probe, the NEORSD FBI investigation and the Nate Gray case, were far from over.

Many of my friends have heard me spout that these investigations were just the tip of the iceberg. I have regularly spouted, "that in the end - all the separate investigations and inquiries will be neatly tied together."

When the larger county corruption scandal emerged - for me - it was all elementary. The writing on the wall could not have been any more telling - it was only an extension of the initial investigations. There is no doubt in my mind, that when the feds first started the investigation into the airport, they had no clue as to just what they were getting into or how far this would go.

Cleveland street hustler and former Cleveland Mayor Mike White's best bud, Nate Gray, was one of the first to go down.

From the PD --

During the resentencing, Gwin revealed that U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster found Gray in contempt of a civil order for the refusal to testify.

The move stopped the clock on Gray's criminal sentence for 18 months, the length of the grand jury investigation. When the grand jury probe ended, his criminal sentence
started again. In the end, he will spend 16 1/2; years in prison.

It is unclear when Gray was to testify or appear before Polster, as the civil case and all of the filings are under seal because of the secrecy of the grand jury.

The fact that prosecutors wanted Gray to appear before the panel suggests that the FBI's probe of Cleveland City Hall and the city's water department -- where Gray's pay-to-play scam blossomed -- may not be over. More...

Though Gray is a crook - I respect him for not being a rat. However, his not rolling over has contributed to some of the hurdles in the Fed's investigative efforts. Gray spilling the beans would have made their jobs much easier, instead they are forced to piece things together.

As they go, some of the questions they have are getting answered, leading them deeper.You can be sure that former Cuyahoga County Recorder Pat O'Malley answered some of these questions.