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FBI Arrests Four Toledo City Council Democrats on Bribery Charges


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Oh how the mighty have fallen!

We hear constantly in the media how “corrupt” Donald Trump is.

Democrats even impeached him over ridiculous charges that he was corrupt.

Well, it looks like the only ones guilty of bribery and corruption are the Democrats themselves!

Newsweek details how four Democrats from the Toledo, Ohio city council were charged with bribery:

Toledo City Council President Matt Cherry and Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz have both called for the resignation of four city council members recently charged with corruption in federal court. The four members make up one-third of the 12-person council.

On Tuesday, Democratic City Council members Tyrone Riley, Yvonne Harper, Larry Sykes and Gary Johnson were all arrested on Tuesday and charged with accepting bribes for official acts and extortion. Each stands accused of soliciting bribes in exchange for special permits and waivers benefitting local businesses and individuals.

Each accused council member showed up to a hearing in U.S. District Court on Tuesday and was subsequently released on a $50,000 bond.

Despite the charges, city rules allow the four council members to attend meetings and vote on ordinances. However, Kapszukiewicz has encouraged all four to resign.

“Government relies on trust. Government relies on the consent of the governed, and when there has been a breach of public trust, and when the consent of the governed is gone, then good government can’t happen. It’s just that simple,” Kapszukiewicz said.

Kapszukiewicz added that the accused councilmembers are innocent until proven guilty and deserve a fair trial.

That’s the Democrats for you!

Check out responses on Twitter to the arrest of the Dems:

Here's more details from the Blade on the corrupt Democrats:

For years, Democrats have been the dominant political machine in Toledo.

But that dynamic is poised for a shakeup after four Democratic Toledo City Council members were charged in a bribery scheme that has rocked the local Democratic Party and the city’s majority-Democrat legislative body.

It’s unclear how the city council will proceed for the time being with Yvonne Harper, Gary Johnson, Tyrone Riley, and Larry Sykes — a third of its members, all veteran Toledo Democrats — facing federal charges for alleged bribery and extortion. Lucas County Democratic Party Chairman Michael Ashford is calling on them to resign, and said he’s working with council leadership to appoint replacements who can serve until the next election.

“While these individuals are innocent until proven guilty, we are urging them to resign from their elected positions so the focus of progress is not derailed by this distraction,” Mr. Ashford said.

Council President Matt Cherry did not respond to multiple calls for comment, but in a statement said he was working with the city to ensure essential functions aren’t disrupted.

The council members who spoke to The Blade on Tuesday stopped short of demanding their colleagues step down, but couldn’t see another outcome in what some called an unprecedented episode in council history, and one that could upend the Democrats’ long reign in Lucas County, where they have a stranglehold on countywide elected offices.

“I have a hard time seeing how any other outcome is going to be acceptable to the community,” said Democrat Sam Melden, who was elected in 2019, after the investigation that council members said they had no inkling of was well under way. “Elected life is about representing our fellow citizens — I want to know what the citizens think. I don’t feel like I'm in a position to make that decision for them. But at the same time I don't see an alternative scenario. This is not what people want in elected leadership.”

“That’s something that we’ll just have to wait and see what they decide to do. That’s their decision,” Cecelia Adams, another Democratic member, said.

After a 2019 election that left Republicans with just one council seat, the latest Toledo political scandal gives the local Republican Party, which has had ample time to build its bench under Chairman Mark Wagoner, a rare opportunity to compete for a foothold in Toledo government against a weakened Democratic Party.

Sensing their opening, the local GOP immediately called on the four indicted members to step down, and for open elections to be held for each of their seats.

“Democrat domination of Toledo city politics has consequences, and today we see them,” Mr. Wagoner said in a statement. “Lucas County Republicans have long pointed to the culture of corruption within the City of Toledo and have put forward quality candidates to end Democrat domination. Today, the importance of watchdogs on Toledo City Council is never more clear.”

This is what happens when Democrats are in charge.

Is this what we can expect from a Biden presidency?

Corruption, bribery, lies?

Watch the news report of the FBI arrests right here:



 

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