CLEVELAND -- Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora accused the U.S. Department of Justice of launching its local public corruption probe two years ago in a conspiracy with Republicans to undermine the Democratic turnout for Barack Obama.
Dimora said he and his lawyers will ask for a federal investigation into the motives behind the corruption probe, which became public last July when FBI agents raided the commissioner's home and office and the home and office of political ally Frank Russo, the county auditor.
"This is a Republican-driven prosecution," Dimora said during a news conference from the county office building.
His remarks come weeks after federal prosecutors released documents that make it clear that prosecutors believe Dimora and Russo are at the center of a pay-to-play political system that involves millions of dollars in public contracts.
Prosecutors did not name Dimora or Russo, neither of whom have been charged with a crime, but two people identified in the documents as Public Official 1 and Public Official 2 are so clearly defined that they cannot be anyone else.
And those documents say the commissioner and auditor repeatedly enriched and entertained themselves with cash from businesses that received the lucrative contracts.
During long and rambling remarks, Dimora denied any wrong doing and said he had no knowledge of illegal activities by other county officials.
He said the courrption investigation was driven by Republican concerns about the 2008 presidential election and aimed to damage Democratic credibility.
Dimora also accused The Plain Dealer of being a party to the conspiracy.
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