Last Saturday the Mahoning County Republican Party held a petition drive at its Market St., Boardman headquarters, including an effort to remove Republican Michael Ciccone from his role as Mahoning County Clerk of Courts.
      Ciccone faces allegations of abuse, an affair with an employee and the use of a racial slur in a private conversation.
      In December, leaders from the county’s GOP as well as Mahoning County Democratic Party leaders announced the petition drive to remove Ciccone when Republican Party Chair Tom McCabe, and Mahoning County Democratic Party Chair Chris Anderson hosted the news conference at the law offices of David Betras, who is the Chairman of the Mahoning County Board of Elections.
      During the news conference, Betras said the effort to oust Ciccone was about law and accountability and not politics.
      “What Mike Ciccone has done has breached the public’s trust. Public service is a sacred institution, and the trust of the citizens of Mahoning County has been placed into a man that has abused and trampled that trust,” Betras said.
      At the petition drive last weekend, Drew Carchedi, central committee chairman for the Mahoning County Republican Party noted “There’s a groundswell of support. We’ve when we posted our petitions for all of our candidates, this was something that we had a lot of feedback, people asking if this particular petition was going to be here. So we have a really big response.”
      The petition drive aims to collect 1,700 signatures before a court can initiate the removal process. The allegations include abuse of authority, use of discriminatory language, and failure to perform core statutory duties. Ciccone has not publicly responded to the allegations, and the petition drive is a citizen-led initiative to address the public’s concerns about his conduct in office.
      Last October, Ciccone released a statement via social media that, in part said, “I was also surprised and disappointed that both Republican and Democratic Party leaders publicly called for my resignation without ever reaching out to speak with me directly. Let me be clear. I will not tender my resignation. I remain committed to the responsibilities I was elected to carry out by the people of Mahoning County.”
      Various local news outlets have reached-out to Ciccone for his comments on the petition drive to remove him from office, without reply from Ciccone.
      Mahoning County Democratic Party Chair Anderson released a statement last October, stating provisions of Ohio Revised Code, provides electors with a legal path to “hold their elected officials accountable for misconduct, misfeasance and gross immorality in office.”
      The Mahoning County Republican Party also released a statement calling for Ciccone to step down.
      “In light of recent revelations concerning Clerk of Courts Michael Ciccone, it has become clear that his continued service is no longer in the best interest of the taxpayers or the integrity of the Mahoning County Republican Party. The actions and behaviors attributed to Mr. Ciccone have caused significant harm to public confidence and brought disrepute upon the office he occupies,” the statement said.
      Among those signing the statements were local GOP chair Chair Tom McCabe, GOP Executive Committee Vice Chair Atty. A. Ross Douglass, GOP Central Committee Vice Chair and State Rep. Tex Fischer, GOP Central Committee Secretary Traci Clemente, Mahoning County Commissioner Geno DiFabio, State Sen. Al Cutrona, Austintown Trustee Robert J. Santos, Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene and Mahoning County Auditor Ralph Meacham.
      Republican Chair McCabe said he’s heard complaints about the way Ciccone runs his office from those involved in the local judicial system.
      Commissioner DiFabio also released the following statement on Ciccone serving as clerk of courts---
      “As a Republican and office holder, I cannot be silent on this one. Public service is a privilege and honor. When information comes to light about an office holder talking and acting in such a way is not only not acceptable but reprehensible! I won’t tolerate the actions and words of anyone from any political party talking and acting in such a way. The clerk should immediately resign and get his affairs in order. I will never condone such actions and words that are attributed to anyone.”