April 28, 2010

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Cincinnati NAACP

The Cincinnati NAACP continues to raise the issue that Council Member Chris Bortz has major conflicts of interests with his position on Cincinnati City Council.  Council Member Bortz not only has a conflict of interest with the streetcar but with a basket of votes he has taken over the years that directly benefit Towne Properties.  Towne Properties is owned by Mr. Bortz's father and uncle where Mr. Bortz serves as legal counsel for the family business.  It is too late for Bortz to undo his voting record.  "The only question for Bortz today is will he maintain his arrogance about the law and continue to defy the Ohio Ethic Commission lawyers? The streetcar conflict of interest is the tip of the iceberg.  Mr. Bortz has no other option but to resign," Christopher Smitherman President of the Cincinnati NAACP says. 

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In 2009 the Cincinnati NAACP raised Mr. Bortz's conflict of interest to the Editorial Board of the Cincinnati Enquirer.  Mr. Bortz at the meeting dismissed the charge that he had any conflicts of interests.  The letter from the Ohio Ethics Commission obtained by the Cincinnati Enquirer combined with the letter written to Council Member John Cranley seals Mr. Bortz's fate.  The community now knows that Mr. Bortz was made aware in 2009 that he had a conflict of interest by the State of Ohio and disregarded their findings.  The charges that Mr. Bortz is facing are serious.  Mr. Bortz should resign from City Council immediately.  "I have been shocked by the votes Mr. Bortz has taken as a member of the Finance Committee and the Chair of Economic Development for the City of Cincinnati.  As a lawyer himself it is a miscalculation to rely on the opinion of city lawyers if Mr. Bortz has a conflict of interest.  Mr. Bortz plans to vote for the streetcar funding today at 1:00 pm.  I suspect every major news outlet will be present at today's meeting to video tape Mr. Bortz breaking the law," Smitherman says.