By: Ken Trump, newsnet5.comAKRON, Ohio - If news crews were allowed to take recording equipment into the federal courtroom during the Jimmy Dimora county corruption trial, there certainly would be no shortage of sound bites during the evening news.
Quotable quotes, along with a number of profanity-laced quotes that cannot be fully quoted in the news, have been peppered throughout the first few weeks of the Dimora trial.
But since federal rules prohibit cameras in the courtroom, a one-stop shop of some of the more clever, catchy and sometimes crude quotes from the first weeks of the trial is presented below.
From the witnesses:
- "I was there to perform sex work for Jimmy Dimora and Mike Gabor."
Testimony by female escort Rebecca Johnson in describing her "sessions" with Dimora, defendant Michael Gabor and others at a Flats condo.
- “I wanted to gain influence at Cuyahoga County and help my businesses and get protection for my businesses...After I developed a relationship with Mr. Dimora, things ran a lot better."
Contractor and government witness Ferris Kleem told jurors in describing why he allegedly bribed Dimora.
- “Yeah, but after I gave her the money...I told her he's a very nice man but he is large."
Kleem told federal prosecutor Ann Rowland, who asked Kleem if he ever described Dimora to Suzzanne Michaels, the Vegas female escort the FBI said had sex with Dimora in his Vegas hotel room.
- "Because Mr. Dimora would take the cash."
Former county employee-turned-consultant Daniel Gallagher said when asked by a federal prosecutor why he gave Dimora $2,000 in cash during a gambling trip to Canada but did not give money to the two other county commissioners who also had to approve a personnel appointment.
- "I feel like a stool pigeon."
Kevin Filko, a prosecution witness and maintenance manager for Plumbers Union Local 55, said while testifying about seeing Dimora, Russo and others at poker parties at the union hall.
From the wiretaps:
- “A little chatty, but good…Thank you, though. It was excellent. Thank you. Thank you.”
Dimora said while thanking contractor Ferris Kleem for setting up a woman who the FBI said provided Dimora with a massage and sex in his Vegas hotel room.
- "I'm leaving Vegas as a man-w----. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."
Dimora told contractor Michael Forlani as Dimora was leaving his multi-day Vegas trip.
- “Tell them I sat in First Class because my fat a-- won’t fit in second class or whatever they call it.”
Dimora said to former Auditor Frank Russo when Russo told him the Plain Dealer newspaper was doing a story on their Vegas trip.
- “Get the one with the thing in her tongue.”
Dimora told J. Kevin Kelley, referring to bringing a female escort later identified as Rebecca Johnson to a Flats condo where she said she performed "sex work" with Dimora and others.
- "I’ve gotta have it for an emergency. In case a terrorist attacks, it’s my county emergency management location.”
Dimora joked on a wiretap while talking about getting a key to a Flats condo that prosecutors said was used by Dimora and others for poker games and sex.
- "You misfit mother (expletive). You deformed (expletive) sucker."
Dimora greeted J. Kevin Kelley at the start of one wiretap conversation.
- “I always tell people loyalty makes up for brains any day.”
J. Kevin Kelley told Brian Schuman, former co-director of the Alternatives Agency, a halfway house program and consulting client Kelley lobbied for while he also served as a county employee.
- "I gotta have a (expletive) fundraiser to pay this (expletive) jersey off."
Dimora told contractor Michael Forlani after Dimora's wife charged $3,600 for a Beanie Wells football jersey at his request while they were at an auction.
From the attorneys:
- "The guides in this story are not going to be Girl Scouts."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Antoinette Bacon said while warning jurors in her opening statement that government witnesses will include people who were investigated, pleaded guilty and made deals to testify for the government.
- "Don't leave a trail of breadcrumbs the FBI could follow."
Prosecutor Bacon told jurors was one of three rules Dimora and former Auditor Frank Russo followed in orchestrating corrupt activities in the county.
- "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, except when the FBI is involved."
Michael Gabor's defense attorney Leif Christman told juors during opening statements.
- "You can't be part of a conspiracy if you don't know about it."
Defense attorney Christman told reporters in response to questions about Christman's cross-examination successes in getting some prosecution witnesses to distance defendant Gabor from dinners, meetings and other schemes highlighted by prosecutors.
- "Foul language is not a crime."
Dimora defense attorney Bill Whitaker said when asked by reporters about the government playing numerous wiretaps with Dimora using profanity.
- "The background noise is gambling, sexual talk and carousing. The government has confused this kind of behavior with corruption."
Dimora
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