“Three months ago, I stood in this room and assured Columbus voters that the federal investigation into the Phoenix-based company Redflex has never been about me and will never be about me,” stated City Council President Andrew Ginther during a press conference at City Hall this afternoon. “Today, court records have proven that’s true.”
Ginther pointed to a plea agreement released today between federal investigators and local lobbyist John Raphael, where Raphael has taken all responsibility for improper dealings with Redflex, has denied that any bribery took place, and has pled guilty to “interference with commerce by threats”.
“I think what today does is confirm what we knew and what we thought all along,” Ginther told Columbus Underground during an interview immediately following the press conference. “We had nothing to hide. This confirms that this was one person acting alone, and had nothing to do with any city employees or elected officials.”
Ginther is currently running for Mayor of Columbus against Franklin County Sheriff Zach Scott. An inside source at City Hall seemed unconcerned that the investigation was harmful in the ongoing race, noting that recent polls indicated that Ginther was currently 16 points ahead of Scott.
“The people of Columbus, they know me — I’ve been on the ballot several times both for City Council and the Columbus School Board,” Ginther said. “I’ve served this community for the past 15 years, and I have gotten an overwhelming amount of support over the last several months. In my line of work, my name and my reputation is everything, and I take that very seriously.”
To watch the full statement during today’s press conference on Periscope, CLICK HERE.
For ongoing discussion and updates on this topic, CLICK HERE to visit our Messageboard.