CLEVELAND — 3News Investigates has learned that the powerful George family has donated tens of thousands of dollars over the years to Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley, whose office is now handling the criminal case of prominent Cleveland businessman Bobby George.
George faces various felony charges that include rape, attempted murder, and kidnapping. However, the political contributions to the region's most powerful prosecutor are raising concerns about a potential conflict of interest.
O'Malley was sworn into his position in 2017 and is up for reelection in November to a potential third term in office. 3News Investigates pored through dozens of pages of campaign finance records and found that the George family, headed by patriarch Tony George (Bobby's father), has given more than $36,000 to O'Malley's campaigns over the years. That includes a $10,000 contribution from Tony in 2023 followed by another in 2024 for the same amount, giving O'Malley a boost as he defeated challenger Matthew Ahn in March's Democratic primary.
"There's definitely a legal ethics issue here," Cassandra Burke Robertson, director of the Case Western Reserve University School of Law's Center for Professional Ethics, admitted.
To be clear, Robertson says it is not at all unusual for an elected prosecutor to receive contributions from people in business, or even the legal profession.
"Prosecutors need money to run a campaign like any elected official, so people will donate," she explained. "It's very common for lawyers to donate to prosecutors' campaigns."
But what is very unusual is that a wealthy donor's own son now faces felony charges of attempted murder and rape in a case being handled by that prosecutor. Robertson believes O'Malley should consider recusing himself.
"Cases of doubt are very often resolved by bringing in a special prosecutor who can reassure the community, even in cases where the prosecutor's office is certain they could fairly prosecute it, for those reasons of public perception," she added.
And already, there's been scrutiny over the case. Earlier this week in court, prosecutors asked for a $100,000 bond for Bobby George, to the apparent surprise of Municipal Judge Shiela Turner McCall.
"I'm not going to do a $100,000 bond," McCall said, before instead using her authority to double the figure to $200,000. "That probable cause (listed in George's arrest warrant) is horrible."
"Usually, the prosecutors are not starting at a lower level than what the judge thinks is appropriate," Robertson told 3News Investigates. "I think that should cause some scrutiny."
There's currently no word on whether O'Malley will ask a special prosecutor to handle the George case, but Robertson expects many will be watching.
"I think it's been a matter of discussion among everybody who lives in Cleveland," she said. "It's a really fascinating and disturbing story."
We reached out to O'Malley's office for comment, but got no immediate response.