The disgraced and suspended Democrat mayor of East Cleveland, Brandon King, has been found guilty of corruption on a massive scale after being accused of funneling over $75,000 in city funds to family members to benefit their businesses, as well as providing a city councilman with a car and thousands of dollars worth of gas cards.
For context, on May 29, 2025, a press release from Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley confirmed that former East Cleveland Mayor Brandon King has been found guilty of theft in office and convicted on nine other counts, including having an unlawful interest in a public contract. King’s sentencing is scheduled to take place on June 9, 2025.
Furthermore, the press release confirmed that East Cleveland City Councilman Ernest Smith, who conspired with Mayor King, was also charged with theft in office and several other charges and will be disqualified from public office for seven years. Smith reportedly was complicit in King’s corruption, accepting city funds and a city-owned car for personal use.
The press release from Prosecutor O’Malley’s office clarified that Mayor King “authorized a public contract and payments through the city…to businesses owned by King and his family members.” Moreover, Prosecutor O’Malley added that Mayor King used city funds to purchase “5,813.07 cleaning supplies” from companies that were “owned by Brandon King and his family members.”
Furthermore, according to Prosecutor O’Malley, King incurred additional charges for illegally providing a City of East Cleveland-owned car to City Councilman Ernest Smith. The press release also confirmed that King “provided Smith with City of East Cleveland gas cards to purchase vehicle fuel,” adding that the gas cards were used to purchase “$6,791 of gas at the expense of the City of East Cleveland.”
Commenting on King’s corruption and conviction, Prosecutor O’Malley described the disgraced mayor’s downfall as “inevitable,” adding, “The citizens of East Cleveland deserve better than what their municipal government has provided them. I am hopeful, under the new leadership of Mayor Sandra Morgan, that the city is headed in the right direction.”
In addition, press accounts confirmed that Sandra Morgan was appointed by a Cuyahoga County Probate Court Judge, Anthony Russo, to serve as East Cleveland’s mayor after King’s arrest. In a statement shared by Fox 8, Judge Russo said that Morgan “distinguished herself due to her dedication to East Cleveland and the broader Northeast Ohio community through her civic involvement and contributions to the economic vitality of the region.”
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Continuing, Judge Russo said that Interim Mayor Morgan “has immediate plans for East Cleveland,” going on to say that Morgan intends to zero in on city finances and handle them with integrity, unlike her predecessor. Judge Russo added, “A long-time resident and registered voter in East Cleveland, she has been an active advocate for the community and has actively worked for the betterment of its residents.”
Watch footage of King’s conviction:
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video