Ohio: Ohio Supreme Court rejects part of lawsuit seeking to toss out East Cleveland Mayor recall

The Ohio Supreme Court threw out one part of a lawsuit filed by the East Cleveland Law Director Willa Hemmons to stop the upcoming Election Day recall vote against East Cleveland Mayor Brandon King. The decision, which has no written component, rejects a complaint that the petition exceeded the 200 word limit.

There are additional complaints, including that petitioners handed in 322 valid signatures and needed 311. The law requires that signers voted in the last election. Hemmons claims that 43 signers did not, so their signatures should be tossed out. Hemmons seems to be acting in a private capacity and being paid by King himself.

Petitioners claim that King used the police to target his Democratic primary opponents in 2021 for towing a van he was using to promote another candidate using loudspeakers.

King has been mayor since 2016 when the last mayor, Gary Norton, was kicked out in a recall with the council president, Thomas Wheeler.