Special prosecutor to investigate Columbus mayor accused of improper talks with judge
Watch a previous NBC4 report on the Greyhound bus terminal case in the video player above.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A special prosecutor has been named to investigate allegations that Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther had an improper conversation with the judge overseeing the city's Greyhound bus terminal case.
Whitehall City Attorney Brad Nicodemus has been selected to review an alleged call made to Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Stephanie Mingo in October by Ginther, according to Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein. Nicodemus confirmed to NBC4 he was appointed earlier in the day on Thursday and said he yet to outline the investigation's timeline.
"Nicodemus has agreed to independently review the allegations because of a conflict of interest our office has due to representing the city in the Greyhound case," Klein's office said in a statement.
The accusation against Ginther came on Dec. 8 as court proceedings resumed for a lawsuit overseen by Mingo between the City of Columbus, Greyhound Lines and Barons Bus over a terminal on the West Side. Opened in June, nearby residents complained of safety and sanitation concerns.
Klein filed a lawsuit in August against the two groups behind the terminal at 845 N. Wilson Rd., citing multiple code violations. From there, the city wanted a preliminary injunction to declare the bus terminal a public nuisance. If granted, Klein’s office said it would force the property owners to bring the terminal into compliance or face potential closure for a year.
However, the companies behind the terminal said they had an incident on public record where an elected city official had inappropriately contacted Mingo without notifying any other parties in the case. During the hearing on Dec. 8, they named that official as Ginther. Mingo then recused herself on Dec. 11.
“If a party has unclean hands, that alone warrants denial of the injunction,” an attorney for Barons Bus and Greyhound Lines said before a judge. “The mayor, Mayor Ginther, improperly contacted this court without notice to anybody, urging the court to grant this injunction, undermining public confidence in the court system.”