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The Enquirer Editorial Board will release a weak defense in the Sunday paper for Council Member Chris Bortz's conflicts of interest. Bortz is the lawyer for a private development company called Towne Properties. His father and uncle are the company owners. Council Member Bortz has been voting for years on development projects that directly benefit his father's and uncle's development business. "The hand has already been dealt with his previous votes. Bortz is in serious legal trouble and might face criminal charges.  His only option is resignation or potential prosecution," President Smitherman of the Cincinnati NAACP says. It is imperative that when reading tomorrow's editorial--whether a Cincinnati NAACP member, an African American, or a reasonable Caucasian--the reader understand that the editorial is the power structure's method of circling Bortz's wagon in support of his wealthy family.

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The Enquirer Editorial Board states that Bortz should be judged by the election process in 2011, not the Ohio Ethics Commission. The Ohio Ethics Commission is the entity that polices the behavior of elected officials. The body has issued opinions of conflicts of interest upon the request of Council Member Bortz. Bortz did not like the opinions of the Ethics Commission that stipulate he does indeed have a conflict of interest and should not vote on projects that help his family. The Editorial Board attacks the Ohio Ethics Commission by suggesting the Commission leaked public information. Leaking public information is an oxymoron. The Enquirer has sued more public entities for not adhering to the public information act standard when they tried to gather information.  The paper has won such cases against Cincinnati Public Schools and  Cincinnati City Council.  "The Enquirer Board look like hypocrites," Smitherman says

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"This is why the public has no confidence in public servants. The public understands that public officials are lining their own financial pockets with public money. The Governor of Illinois goes on trial next week for unethical behavior that is deemed criminal," Smitherman says. The Enquirer Editorial Board pushes the line by stating that the inquiries about Bortz having a conflict of interest is really a personal attack on Bortz. "Council Member Bortz's conflicts of interests are facts. Bortz either voted for the project(s) for his family that received public dollars or he did not. Bortz ignored the answer that the Ohio Ethics Commission gave to his own question and voted on projects anyway. I really hope Christ Hospital and Bortz have not crossed the line in Mt. Auburn too," Smitherman says.

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