Ciccone vows not to resign
Mahoning GOP and Dem parties call on court clerk to step down
YOUNGSTOWN — Michael P. Ciccone, Mahoning County’s clerk of courts, has rejected calls by the Mahoning County Republican Party leadership Saturday night to step down.
Almost 24 hours later, the Mahoning County Democratic Party said it will start the process today to have the embattled official removed from office.
“Over the past several weeks, personal matters have unfortunately entered the public sphere,” Ciccone said Sunday in an emailed news release. “While these challenges have been difficult for me and my family, I want to assure the residents of Mahoning County that the operations of the Clerk of Courts Office continue uninterrupted and remain my top priority.”
The Austintown resident faces scrutiny professionally and personally.
Ciccone fired his chief deputy and chief of staff, Jennifer J. Ciccone, on Friday.
The work relation between the pair, who are not related, had been deteriorating. A sheriff’s deputy responded last week to Oakhill Renaissance Place, home of the clerk’s title office, where they were engaged in an argument.
“Recently, I made the decision to terminate the employment of Jennifer Ciccone, who served as
Chief Deputy and Chief of Staff in the Clerk’s Office,” Michael P. Ciccone said Sunday in the news release. “This decision was based on internal personnel matters and made in the best interest of the office and its effective operation.”
In a text posted online, Jennifer J. Ciccone had accused Michael P. Ciccone of inappropriate behavior involving Meghan Hanni, who works in the auto title department. Michael P. Ciccone promoted Hanni to take over Jennifer J. Ciccone’s post.
Hanni is the daughter of Judge Mark A. Hanni, a Republican who sits on the 7th District Court of Appeals bench.
On Sept. 25, Michael P. Ciccone’s wife, Emily A. Ciccone, faced a domestic violence charge involving her husband. Citing a lack of evidence, the prosecutor later dismissed the misdemeanor offense.
“The allegation that I engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a current employee is categorically false,” Michael P. Ciccone said. “I have been faithfully married to my wife, Emily, for seven years, and at no time have I engaged in an extramarital relationship.”
The Mahoning County Republican Party said Saturday it could no longer tolerate Michael P. Ciccone’s behavior.
“In light of recent revelations concerning Clerk of Courts Michael Ciccone, and a lengthy pattern of behavior that has eroded the public trust, it is clear that his conduct is unbecoming of an elected official,” officials said in a social media post.
“The actions attributed to Mr. Ciccone have caused significant harm to public confidence and brought disrepute upon the office he occupies and the Mahoning County Republican Party.”
They said they will conduct an emergency meeting to consider a resolution demanding him to resign.
County GOP officials signing the letter included Tom McCabe, chair, Mahoning County Republican Party; state Rep. Tex Fischer; county Commissioner Geno DiFabio; state Sen. Al Cutrona; Austintown Trustee Robert J. Santos; county Sheriff Jerry Greene; and county Auditor Ralph T. Meacham.
In its response on social media, the Mahoning County Democratic Party said the process to remove Michael P. Ciccone begins today.
“We have called for his resignation,” party officials said. “His party has called for his resignation. Elected officials have called for his resignation. And there has been silence.
“If he won’t do the right thing for Mahoning County, we will.”
Michael P. Ciccone said he was disappointed with “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.”