Earlier this week, Franklin County Sheriff and Mayoral candidate Zach Scott issued a statement that called upon local government officials to follow the lead of the City of Chicago and sue Redflex, the company behind the former red light camera program in Columbus.
The City of Chicago announced on Monday that it would be suing Redflex for more than $300 million in damages. Former Redflex CEO Karen Finley plead not guilty to bribing officials in Chicago in 2014, and plead guilty to bribing officials in Columbus and Cincinnati in June.
“Current city leadership has allowed fraud to be perpetrated upon the people,” said Scott, who pointed out in his release that Columbus City Council President and Mayoral candidate Andrew Ginther is alleged to be under federal investigation regarding connections to Redflex.
Ginther’s campaign offices were quick to respond to Scott’s comments on the matter.
“Zach Scott’s reckless disregard for the facts is shocking given his position as a law enforcement officer,” said Bryan Clark, Ginther’s campaign manager. “Far from being a target of any investigation, Andy Ginther is assisting the federal investigation of former Redflex employees.”
Clark added that Ginther was the first to call for an investigation into the city’s red light camera contract with Redflex, and has already asked the city attorney to review the Chicago lawsuit against Redflex to determine whether a local lawsuit is appropriate.
Scott stated that he would like to see any funds gained from a local lawsuit to be returned to taxpayers or used to keep children safe in school zones.
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