EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — East Cleveland Mayor Lateek Shabazz is formally fighting Ohio Auditor Keith Faber's move to place the city under financial receivership , citing what his team calls "13 Years of state-enabled fiscal collapse."
In a 10-page letter to Faber that has been shared with Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost's office, Shabazz accused the auditor of a "systematic dereliction of statutory duties" that have only contributed to East Cleveland's ongoing money problems during what has been a 13-year fiscal emergency. He also vowed to challenge any receivership in court.
"This dereliction directly enabled and facilitated the criminal conduct of convicted ex-Mayor Brandon King and his co-conspirators, resulting in millions of dollars in theft, fraud, and misappropriation of public fu