East Cleveland is without a mayor after a panel of judges suspended Brandon King from office while he faces corruption charges.
The city won't have a mayor until a probate court rules who will take the reins, said City Council President Lateek Shabazz, who spoke at City Hall Wednesday.
A special commission of three retired judges voted to suspend King. It's the latest in a series of upheavals for the Cleveland suburb of roughly 13,000 people.
Two of the three judges on the commission, which was appointed by Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy, found that King鈥檚 conduct 鈥渁dversely affects the functioning of the office or adversely affects the rights and interests of the public, and as a result, Mr. King should be suspended from office.鈥�
In October, King was indicted in Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas for multiple counts of theft in office and having an improper interest in a public contract, both felonies, along with several misdemeanors. That case is still pending. Following the indictment, Prosecutor Michael O鈥橫alley initiated a procedure with the Ohio Supreme Court to have King suspended while his case is adjudicated.
On Jan. 28, the prosecutor鈥檚 office sent word to East Cleveland officials of the commission鈥檚 decision and that King鈥檚 suspension begins immediately.
, Cuyahoga County Probate Court Presiding Judge Anthony Russo will appoint King鈥檚 replacement through the end of his suspension. The court is accepting applications through Feb. 14.
King鈥檚 indictment and suspension is the latest in a series of scandals in East Cleveland. More than a dozen police officers have been convicted or face pending charges for misconduct including theft and excessive force while on duty. In 2024, former Chief of Police Scott Gardner pleaded guilty to a tax charge in Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. His replacement, Brian Gerhard, left office last year following the release of racist, antisemitic text messages from his phone.
Gerhard鈥檚 replacement, Kenneth Lundy, is now facing allegations of misconduct, including an inappropriate relationship with a witness in a case he investigated.
In its decision to suspend King, the three-judge commission did not make a ruling on whether the evidence supports King鈥檚 guilt, according to their final report, but looked for any conduct that 鈥渁dversely affects the functioning鈥� of the mayor鈥檚 office or 鈥渁dversely affects the rights and interests of the public.鈥�
鈥淪pecifically, Mr. King鈥檚 line-item veto of a city council budget ordinance that defunded a lease East Cleveland made with Mr. King鈥檚 family鈥檚 business, as alleged in Count Two of the indictment, and which would have restored funding to said family business had the line-item veto not been overridden by the East Cleveland City Council, constituted an act that adversely affected the rights and interests of the public and, as a result, Mr. King should be suspended from office,鈥� the commission wrote.
In 2024, King attempted to reverse a city council decision to stop renting office space in a building owned by a company connected to his family. City council reversed King鈥檚 line item veto. Retired Judge William Woods, in a dissent to the special commission鈥檚 decision, criticized basing the suspension solely on that action.
State law requires a suspension be based on a pending felony charge, but, according to the indictment, that line-item veto was the basis for a misdemeanor charge of representation by a public official or employee.
鈥淐ount Two, 鈥楬aving an Unlawful Interest in a Public Contract鈥� in violation of R.C. 2921.42(A)(1), which is the sole basis for the Commission鈥檚 suspension of Mr. King from office, makes no mention of any line-item veto or any other specific acts or omissions committed by Mr. King,鈥� wrote Woods.
The office space contract with a company connected to King started in 2008 鈥� long before King joined city council or became mayor, wrote Woods.
For residents who have been watching the chaos in city government play out for years, King's suspension provides a moment of confusion but also reflection, said Dont茅 Gibbs, a 36-year-old resident, who organizes an annual gift exchange.
"In my conversation with residents, family, friends, folks are just disheartened, but folks are energized as well," Gibbs said. "Folks are eager for real and true information. But East Cleveland's resilience is tried and true. Folks are just eager for what's next."
