This was pretty funny, right up to the moment where (Democratic) Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora threatened reporter Henry Gomez’s wife.

The background is as follows: Dimora is being investigated as part of a corruption probe* – yes, I know, corruption in Cuyahoga county; how shocking – and Dimora is a bit upset about the way Gomez (and his paper the Plain Dealer) is covering the investigation. So Dimora ups and accuses Gomez and his paper of not reporting a particular detail of the investigation: to wit, that Ohio Auditor (and Republican candidate for Lt. Governor) Mary Taylor had not released two years’ worth of audits. Only problem is, this had been reported – including a quote from, guess who? that right, Jim Dimora – and when Gomez told Dimora about this, Dimora called Gomez a liar.

So far, so funny. Now here’s the unfunny bit:

Dimora then asks about Gomez’s wife. “She’s a school teacher, isn’t she? How did she get her job? Should we call, should we look at her personnel file? Did she have a reference letter from anybody?”

“Leave my wife out of it, Jimmy,” Gomez responds.

You don’t talk like that when you’re an elected official. Even if you’re an elected official of the current ruling party of Ohio. Especially if you’re an elected official of the current ruling party of Ohio, in fact. I don’t care how much pressure a politician feels from a brewing scandal, either, or how hostile he thinks that a paper is being. Call the paper a rag and suggest that the reporter is a hack and a shill? Go for it – but you don’t make it personal. Jim Dimora made it personal.

Moe Lane

PS: Anybody pushing back on this; remember, it’s not my fault that a Democratic county commissioner was so stupid, lazy, and arrogant as to make comments like this on camera. But – particularly if you’re from Ohio – it may be yours.

Have a nice day!

*Prostitution may be involved.

Crossposted to Moe Lane.