A special report from the Ohio Auditor of State says former East Cleveland Council Member Ernest Smith used a city car for personal business when he was in office.
Smith, who was recalled in late 2022, racked up $6,791 in gas bills at taxpayer expense in the cash-strapped Cleveland suburb, the audit says. Auditor Keith Faber is holding both Smith and Mayor Brandon King liable for paying that money back.
King first allowed Smith to drive a 2003 Ford Taurus, which was later swapped for a 2011 Dodge Durango, according to the audit.
“The vehicle was not reported as a fringe benefit and a mileage log for the vehicle was not maintained,” the audit report says. “Mr. Smith used a City fleet fuel credit card to purchase gasoline for the vehicle, and the City paid for the fuel and vehicle repairs.”
In September and October 2021, an investigator with the auditor’s office surveilled Smith at his home, according to a case summary obtained by Signal Cleveland. The investigator saw the Durango in the driveway and later saw Smith use the car to drive a child to school, the summary says. After the stop at the school, Smith drove to an abandoned building and looked around the property, according to the case summary.
The audit was presented to East Cleveland Law Director Willa Hemmons, and the city prosecutor declined to bring criminal charges, the report says.
Hemmons protested the findings this week in an email to state auditors and dozens of other people. She wrote that the audit was based on “patently false information” and accused the auditor’s office of trying to “spy” on Smith.
The law director argued that the mayor had a right to assign city vehicles. Another council member used a city car for six months without sparking an auditor’s investigation, she wrote.
“It seems to be apparent that this questionable ‘investigation’s’ sudden resumption is politically motivated by adversarial Councilors relentlessly bent on overtaking the Mayoral office by unscrupulous persons,” Hemmons wrote.
Reached for comment, King directed Signal Cleveland to Hemmons’ email. A voice message and email were left seeking comment from Smith.
