EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio (WJW) – East Cleveland’s mayor and a city councilman both appeared in court Friday for their arraignment on corruption charges.

The FOX 8 I-Team was the first to report that Mayor Brandon King and East Cleveland City Councilman Ernest Smith were indicted in early October.

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The corruption charges against King include two counts of theft while in office, four counts of unlawful interest in a public contract, four counts of representation by a public official or employee, one one count of filing a false report and one count of solicitation of improper compensation.

According to prosecutors, between January 1, 2019 and October 2, 2024, King allegedly “authorized a public contract and payments through the City of East Cleveland to businesses owned by King and members of his family.”

Prosecutors said he allowed office space in a building owned by King Management Group Limited to be rented to the city’s domestic violence department for more than $14,100 a year.

The city of East Cleveland purchased more than $5,800 worth of cleaning supplies from American Merchandising Service, which is also owned by King, between March 16, 2019 and February 22, 2022, according to prosecutors.

Additionally, prosecutors allege, King wrongly provided a town car to former East Cleveland City Councilman Ernest Smith between January 1, 2018 and March 31, 2022.

“King also provided Smith with gas cards from the City of East Cleveland to purchase vehicle fuel. While Smith owned the vehicle, he used two gas cards to purchase $6,791 worth of gas at the expense of the City of East Cleveland,” prosecutors said in the release.

Smith was charged with several counts, including one count of workplace theft, two counts of theft, one count of solicitation of improper compensation and one count of credit card misuse.

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“Mayor Brandon King has demonstrated a complete disregard for the rule of law,” District Attorney Michael O’Malley said in a press release. “The citizens of East Cleveland deserve better. The investigation continues.

In court Friday, Mayor King pleaded not guilty and was given $5,000 bail.

Smith also pleaded not guilty and was given $5,000 bond.

Their next court date has not been set.

This comes months after prosecutors indicted several East Cleveland police officers on a wide variety of corruption-related charges.

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