Gift card controversy sparks audit and ethics questions ahead of primary
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A gift card giveaway in Cleveland's Ward 1 has reignited scrutiny over City Council's discretionary spending — prompting pushback from Mayor Justin Bibb's administration, a state audit and public consternation.
State of play: Councilman Joe Jones' office helped hand out $50,000 worth of grocery store gift cards to low-income residents, even though a nonprofit was supposed to handle distribution.
- Internal emails obtained by cleveland.com revealed that a council staff member warned this could pose ethical or legal risks, especially with Jones up for reelection this fall.
The latest: The Ohio state auditor initially said no wrongdoing occurred, but reversed course during cleveland.com's reporting and now says the issue is "under further review."
The big picture: Council members control hundreds of thousands of dollars from casino tax revenue every year and fiercely defend their allocations.
- The money is often used for neighborhood infrastructure, economic development, public art, youth programming and food aid.
Friction point: Bibb's office, which requested the state audit, called the gift card program "problematic" and susceptible to abuse.
The other side: "At the end of the day, we followed everything that we were told to do," Jones told cleveland.com.
- Council President Blaine Griffin said there are no explicit rules regarding distribution of aid, but acknowledged the need for more formal guidelines.
What he's saying: In a Facebook post, Griffin shared the article and lashed out at critics, arguing that people only get mad when the government creates programs to help poor people.
- "I'm all about accountability," he wrote. "But I don't hear a whisper when developers and pet projects line up to get millions of dollars."
Between the lines: Commenters pointed out there has been widespread opposition to developer handouts.
- Some replied that the current controversy is not about helping poor people, but about the potential for corruption: a councilperson doling out gift cards as an implied exchange for votes or loyalty.
What's next: The Cleveland municipal primary election is Sept. 9.
- Joe Jones will face four challengers in the new Ward 1: Aylwin Bridges, Marc Crosby, Lesa Jones Dollar and state Rep. Juanita Brent.