Latest news with #ClevelandPoliceMonitoringTeam
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Police monitors making $750/hour: The new charges for taxpayers
CLEVELAND (WJW) — In February, the I-Team took hard questions to the head of the Cleveland Police Monitoring Team, and now we've found out what that group has charged taxpayers to answer those questions. Records show the lead monitor has billed the City of Cleveland a total of $3,300 for sitting down with the I-Team and other reporters. The bill included 'discussing with City officials regarding the media interviews' and 'preparing and participating in the interviews.' 3 Huron County teens credited with heroic water rescue Members of the Monitoring Team earn up to $750 an hour oversee reform in the Cleveland Division of Police as a result of a Federal Consent Decree. The group has been doing this job for 10 years, and the lead monitor tells us he does not know when the job will be finished. Another member of the group also billed a total of $3,200 for the interviews and preparing for them, though she never answered any questions for us on the day of the interviews. About three weeks later, U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno spoke out about what the I-Team has exposed in the past about taxpayer money going to the Cleveland Police Monitoring Team. For that story, we requested comment and we were told the Monitoring Team could not comment. But an invoice shows Karl Racine and Abby Wilhelm billed the City $900 for dealing with a media inquiry. Tesla Cybertruck reportedly vandalized in Solon U.S. Federal Judge Solomon Oliver gives the final approval over the bills turned in by the Monitoring Team. Cleveland City Hall has protested some bills in the past, and the city currently has some objections pending with the Court. When we talked to Karl Racine, the lead monitor, in February, we asked about the billing and what taxpayers are getting for their money. He responded, 'Making a mountain out of a molehill around issues concerning the cost of the consent decree misses the big picture.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
I-Team: Billing taxpayers to watch police ceremonies
CLEVELAND (WJW) — The FOX 8 I-Team has found your tax dollars are paying a man big money to attend police awards ceremonies and neighborhood meetings. Charles See earns $230 per hour as a member of the Cleveland Police Monitoring Team, a federal group overseeing police reform. We went to see him Thursday, before a neighborhood meeting on the west side. Ohio lawmakers look to eliminate highest income tax rate, switch to flat tax We told him, 'We had some questions about some of the billing you give to the city for some of your activities with the monitoring team.' We found See has billed the city hundreds of dollars to monitor a 'police and community gathering to honor safety forces members who died in the line of duty.' He has billed hundreds more to monitor police awards ceremonies, and more to meet with residents and to attend a Coffee with a Cop meet-and-greet event. See told us he can't talk without permission from a federal judge. Nonetheless, we asked, 'How does having someone like you attend an awards ceremony make the Cleveland Police Department function better?' See responded, 'Ed, as I've said before, I'd be happy to answer that question, and I've got an excellent answer to it. But, according to what we have to do as far as speaking to the press, I have to follow those protocols.' Newer members of that monitoring team earn three times as much per hour as Charles See. Billing records show he takes part in reviewing police operations and policy changes, too. Still city records show he has collected a total of about $400,000 over the years. The neighborhood meeting on Thursday night focused on police oversight. Some folks held signs calling for it to end. 'It's gotta end. It's gotta end,' Therese Pohorence said. Others said city leaders share blame for oversight dragging out over a decade. Darrell Houston spoke up and said, 'See what your elected officials are really doing. They're the ones who are squandering your taxpayer dollars. Figure out where their money's going.' There's no way to know if See will bill the city for attending that meeting. 'You get that permission [from the judge],' See said to us. 'I'd certainly be happy to speak to you, particularly about any of my billing.' The federal judge has never responded to us before, so we also said, 'Why don't you go to the Court and say, 'Hey, I want to explain this to Ed Gallek?'' Cleveland teen rescues mom, children from burning home The city of Cleveland Law Department has challenged some of these bills. The monitoring team has argued that watching an awards ceremony helps the group be aware of positive police work. A judge has final say over what gets paid. In the meantime, the monitoring team has been in the headlines as a result of the lead monitor being involved in an incident at JACK Cleveland Casino. An off-duty officer said Karl Racine was refusing to leave. He ultimately left and he did not get arrested. He said he did not act inappropriately. But Councilman Brian Kazy has called for Racine to resign. U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno has called for an investigation by a bar association disciplinary counsel. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
