As investigators sat outside the room where a Grand Jury's been hearing witnesses in the Oakhill Renaissance purchase, Mahoning County's Administrator challenged figures released this week from the three men thought to be targets of that investigation.
On Tuesday Commissioner John McNally, Auditor Mike Sciortino and former Treasurer John Reardon defended their opposition to Oakhill, again calling the purchase a bad idea and hinting the millions spent to date on the project are contributing to the county's current economic problems.
"I want to make it very clear that it is the recession," Tablack said. "The recession, only that, is causing this."
Tablack also argued the figures, compiled by Sciortino's staff, are misleading.
"Here's the key simple thing that an accounting 101 student learned," Tablack said. "This is a big distinction between the term 'cost' and 'expense'."
When our reporter, Gerry Ricciutti, asked him to explain which of Sciortino's numbers were incorrect, he had this to say: "I have no idea."
"George Tablack and his Wall Street accounting is exactly what is wrong with government today," Sciortino said.
Sciortino insisted his figures are accurate and are intended to portray an up-to-date portrait of the project.
"Very simple to understand, Gerry, very simple to understand," Sciortino said. "Money coming in and money coming out."
In the meantime, no one has said how close that Grand Jury is to handing up indictments as this saga continues.
