CLEVELAND -- Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Tim McGinty, who boasts of being frugal with tax dollars, is being criticized for spending about $43,000 to send his staff to the U.S. Supreme Court to witness oral arguments that many wound up never hearing.
Those same critics – former employees and his Democratic primary rival Michael O’Malley – are questioning $300,000 worth of staff travel expenses in 2015.
They also criticize McGinty for a $110,000 office remodel, as well as his propensity to hand out trophies and other awards that have totaled more than $18,000 since he took office in 2013.
“I just think it’s an outrageous waste of taxpayer dollars,” O’Malley said this week.
The prosecutor's office has annual budget of about $31 million.
McGinty and O'Malley face off in a Democratic Party primary election March 15.
The trip taken a year ago this week was designed to be an historic learning experience for assistant prosecutors, McGinty said Wednesday.
It was also an opportunity to support assistant prosecutor Matthew Meyer, who was part of a team of attorneys arguing Ohio v. Clark before the U.S. Supreme Court.
McGinty defended the trip expenses, calling it an “experience of a lifetime.” The case dealt with whether statements of abuse made by a 3-year-old boy to his teacher were admissible in court.
“This was a moment no one will forget,” McGinty said. “To watch your case argued before the Supreme Court was a great thrill and a great professional privilege and a great learning experience.”
The event was, indeed, rare for local attorneys. Cuyahoga County prosecutors have not argued a case before the U.S. Supreme Court since December 1967 in Terry v. Ohio.
In that landmark decision dealing with police searches, a young defense attorney named Louis Stokes represented defendant John Terry. Assistant county prosecutor Reuben Payne appeared for the state.
It was one of the first cases heard by Justice Thurgood Marshall.
Last year, just over 50 McGinty staff members boarded a chartered bus for the three-day excursion to Washington. According to expense reports obtained by Channel 3 News, the bus ride cost $4,327. Most of the group stayed at the Holiday Inn Capitol for $262 per night. Total bill: $28,354.
Their meals were paid for as well, although McGinty placed a $45 per diem on each person.
McGinty opted to drive himself to Washington and stay at a separate hotel, the Phoenix Park, which cost $327 a night, expense records show.
On the day of arguments, the group was urged to line up at the Supreme Court early in order to get a seat in the public gallery.
But in the end, fewer than half of McGinty staffers -- those who were members of the U.S. Bar Association -- were actually able to watch the entire arguments unfold, according to sources who attended the event.
McGinty said about 10 to 20 of his workers witnessed the arguments from start to finish. The remainder were able to watch at least part of the arguments because of seating limitations.
“Every single person got to see part of that argument,” McGinty said. “Everybody got the thrill and benefit of seeing part of that argument.”
Not everyone who attended the Washington trip was an attorney. Marvin Davies, the finance chief for the prosecutor’s office, and McGinty’s communications head Joe Frolik, also attended.
Jane Platten, McGinty’s chief of staff, did not take in the D.C. trip. She has, however, made eight trips to legal conferences across the U.S., adding to the office’s estimated $300,000 in staff travel for 2015.
Her trips included conferences in San Francisco, Tampa and New York City. McGinty said the trips were for management and training purposes.
Platten has also benefited from a $110,000 renovation of the prosecutor’s offices inside the Justice Center. McGinty defended the remodeling, saying it was the first time in 25 years that any changes had been made.
Critics counter that the remodeling comes at a time when some are suggesting the Justice Center be torn down and the offices moved.
"The Cuyahoga County prosecutors do a great job, do great work and they deserve it," McGinty said.
O'Malley said the remodeling, which includes construction of a glass-enclosed conference room named in honor of former Prosecutor Stephanie Tubbs Jones, was wasteful.
“Quite frankly, it was not needed and didn't improve anything,” said O’Malley, a former assistant prosecutor. “I can tell you (that) to the employees it was a joke."
McGinty also believes his employees are deserving of awards at your expense. Since taking office a little over three years ago, he has showered them and law enforcement with trophies, silver bowls, and other honors costing more than $18,000, according to expense vouchers.
The awards have been given to assistant prosecutors, Cleveland police, the FBI and other area law enforcement officers for their work on myriad criminal cases, such as Ariel Castro or the Pamela Pemberton murder.
Other awards have honored citizens and workers in the prosecutor’s office.
“We over-work, we under-pay, we put great stress on them,” McGinty said. “I’d love to give them a bonus…but I [want] to give them some recognition for their professional achievement.”
O’Malley, a former assistant under McGinty, said the money used to purchase the awards would have been better suited to help victims of crime.
"Quite frankly, I don't know of anyone that needed a trophy that bad," O’Malley said.
Tom Meyer can be reached at tmeyer@wkyc.com
Phil Trexler can be reached at ptrexler@wkyc.com