CLEVELAND — East Cleveland Mayor Brandon King appeared in court on Friday morning in connection to several corruption charges.
During the arraignment hearing, King entered a not guilty plea. Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Hollie Gallagher set King's bond at $5,000, which he posted.
The next court date for Mayor King has not yet been determined.
A Cuyahoga County grand jury handed down the indictment in October, charging King with unlawfully authorizing city contracts with businesses owned by King and his family members, among other "criminal ethics violations," according to Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley's office.
King is also accused of improperly providing a city vehicle and thousands of dollars worth of gas cards to former East Cleveland City Councilman Ernest Smith, 49, who was also indicted.
King was charged with the following offenses:
- Two counts of Theft in Office
- Four counts of Having an Unlawful Interest in a Public Contract
- Four counts of Representation by Public Official or Employee
- One count of Filing a False Disclosure Statement
- One count of Soliciting Improper Compensation
According to O'Malley's office, King authorized a public contract leasing office space in a Euclid Avenue building owned by his company, King Management Group Limited, to the city's domestic violence department. The contract, which prosecutors said was in place from Jan. 1, 2019, until Oct. 2, saw the city pay King's company $14,184.21 per year in quarterly installments.
King is also accused of benefitting from a city contract with American Merchandising Services, another company owned by King and his family members. O'Malley's office said the city bought $5,803.17 worth of cleaning supplies from the company beginning in March of 2019 through February of 2022.
Earlier this week, the Ohio Supreme Court appointed three retired judges to decide if Mayor King should be suspended in relation to the recent felony charges. The state of Ohio is requesting the Ohio Supreme Court suspend King from office as the criminal case unfolds, citing a state law that allows public officials to be removed from office if they are charged with a felony related to official conduct.
3News' Justin McMullen contributed to this report.
