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Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Heimlich, Finney, and Three Centurions: An Open Letter to Enquirer Editor Tom Callinan
Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
Tom Callinan, Editor
Cincinnati Enquirer
Mr. Callinan:
I welcomed your recent e-mail in which you said you value my blog, especially that “You give voices to those who can’t get our attention.” Today I’d like to bring to your attention one of those voices.
As a matter of fact, the voice is mine.
As you know, the Beacon has devoted considerable coverage to Phil Heimlich, president of the Hamilton County Commission. We’ve published stories about his politics, his business interests, and his ethics. I’ve regularly written public letters to Heimlich trying to get answers. He refuses to respond.
Last year I turned up information about two companies, Three Centurions LLC and Three Centurions II LLC. These are residential real estate investment companies which until last year were owned by Phil Heimlich, attorney Chris Finney, and Jeff Eichhorn. (Eichhorn is a former Heimlich aide who now works as Attorney General Jim Petro’s communications director. As you know, Heimlich was Petro’s running mate for Lt. Governor until Heimlich dropped off the ticket in January.) According to public records, the Three Centurions companies own a string of single-family homes around the greater Cincinnati area.
Shortly after I mentioned Three Centurions on my blog last year, Heimlich, Finney, and Eichhorn transferred ownership of the businesses to their wives—Rebecca Heimlich, Diane Finney, and Jill Eichhorn. I sent separate letters to all the principals in the companies, asking for details about the companies. No one would respond. I followed up with phone calls that also went nowhere. It’s hard not to draw the conclusion that this is a business arrangement that the participants would prefer not to discuss because of the appearance of conflict of interest.
Here’s my concern. The first week of January this year, I was ready to publish my own story on Three Centurions. But I knew how important the story was, so I decided to give the Enquirer the opportunity to publish it so it could get wider circulation. I gave the information to Enquirer reporter Kimball Perry and I informed him I had all the supporting documents, which were easily accessible public records.
About 10 days later, Mr. Perry wrote a lengthy article, Citizen Advisory Councils Potent, about the growing influence that hand-picked citizen review committees have on local government. Commisioner Pat DeWine agreed: “I think the work done by the managed competition committee will change how we will think of government.” Commissioner Todd Portune sounded a similar, but more ominous note about the power of these unelected groups: “It creates a whole new shadow arm of government who are incredibly influential.”
From the first sentence—“Even though he has never been elected, Chris Finney could have a big say over what Hamilton County residents pay in taxes”—the article gave plenty of space to Finney’s influence over our government, but failed to mention that Finney and Heimlich are in business together.
Plenty of time before the article went to press, I handed your reporter what many would consider a smoking gun. I can’t think of a better way to make the case for behind the scenes political influence than a clandestine business partnership between Heimlich and Finney, which they hastily transferred to their wives shortly after I started poking around.
I waited a few weeks to see if Mr. Perry would cover the issue. After it became clear that the Enquirer wasn’t running the story, I wrote it up for the Beacon on February 9, along with links to all supporting documents.
How can Heimlich or Finney pretend to be politically independent when they’re in business together? Public records also show that Finney has been the attorney for Heimlich’s other real estate investment company, Oakley-Arlington LLC. Do they have other business interests together? When Heimlich became a commissioner in 2002, Finney even administered his oath of office. As for the Centurions quickly transferring ownership to their wives, that speaks for itself.
As a reader of my blog, you may know we get plenty of comments claiming the Enquirer gives cover to Phil Heimlich because of his ties to powerful businessmen like Carl Lindner, who just contributed a mind-boggling $75,000 to Heimlich’s re-election campaign. Your own short-lived blog received a slew of similar complaints—that the Enquirer goes easy on Heimlich and regularly fails to include critical quotes and context provided by his fellow commissioner, Democrat Todd Portune. As you know, Portune was so frustrated by the treatment he was receiving from Enquirer editors and reporters that he posted a public letter on my blog.
The purpose of this letter is to ask you why the Enquirer does not report the Three Centurions story. Considering the ongoing Drake Hospital upheaval and the role Chris Finney may be playing in those negotiations, your readers deserve full disclosure about the business relationships between Heimlich and Finney.
Am I proud that the Beacon is breaking important Cincinnati stories and attracting readers? You bet. Am I pleased that politicians who feel ignored by your paper have found an outlet on my blog? Absolutely. I’m just a part-time unpaid journalist who does this during my off hours.
But that’s what bothers me. I don’t want to be doing the Enquirer’s job. I want the Enquirer to do the Enquirer’s job.
Thanks for your time and I look forward to publishing your reply.
Sincerely,
The Dean of Cincinnati
cc:
Sue Clark-Johnson, President, Newspaper Division Gannett Inc.
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25 Apr 2006 at 07:33 pm | #
Callinan with a quick response:
25 Apr 2006 at 08:27 pm | #
Good letter Deano.
Tom,
I would like to see fairer coverage of candidates running for public office. The way your paper has treated candidates is shameful. You print whatever opinions you want pretend they are facts. You have tremendous potential to serve the public and you have unparalleled influence in Tri-State Region. By neglecting your civic responsibility to inform your readers about their choices you are violating the public trust. The Fourth Estate comes with an implied obligation. If the Enquirer, Post, Cincinnati.com, etc. are just businesses to you then you fail to understand the business you’re in.
I ask you not to wait until May 3rd to report on County Commission candidate Stephanie Dumas. This is a highly qualified person and you have overlooked her. The people continue to trust your coverage although the landscape is changing before our eyes. It is time to correct this error before it becomes part of history.
25 Apr 2006 at 10:18 pm | #
Anybody who’s had just about enough of Chris Finney’s bullying and intimidation must be cheering to see this letter and Callinan’s rapid response. Let’s hope the Enquirer goes after the Centurions.
Plus former mayors David Mann and Bobbie Sterne just filed their lawsuit against the Banks deal fix. Discovery, anyone? Let the subpoenas fly!
Can’t wait to see Heimlich’s “character training” under oath.
25 Apr 2006 at 11:01 pm | #
I would like to see the state impeachment process on the front page tomorrow. I have a feeling….no.
25 Apr 2006 at 11:08 pm | #
Bad day for Heimlich, Finney, Weiland, Roberts, Smyjunas, Anderson.
And who’s that waving goodbye and good luck from shore as their boat drifts out to sea? Why, could it be Uncle Carl…?
26 Apr 2006 at 12:31 am | #
Nice work, Jason.
26 Apr 2006 at 03:11 am | #
Way to do Dean! Please keep pouring the pressure on.
Have you sent Todd and FYI about this exchange? He should know about it if he & Callinan are indeed meeting in a few days.
Keep up the great work.
RVGIV
26 Apr 2006 at 07:21 am | #
From Mann-Stern lawsuit article in today’s Enquirer.
Phil Heimlich: “I think county taxpayers expected the action to be on the riverfront, not in the courtroom.”
So did Phil. Please, oh please, let this one go to trial. I need to see Phil, Weiland, and the rest on the witness stand.
David Mann, Bobbie Sterne, Marc Mezibov - thanks for standing up for us all.
26 Apr 2006 at 12:18 pm | #
That should read “way to go Dean!”
Sorry, the Blackberry thumbs were getting to me.
RVGIV
26 Apr 2006 at 12:59 pm | #
If Heimlich thinks the county taxpayers expected action, maybe he should’ve relied on their money instead of trying to hijack the city’s TIF without giving the city a say.
26 Apr 2006 at 01:29 pm | #
Not only is it bad what Heimlich is doing, it is also hypocritical considering how hard he went after Genesis back when he was on council, even though they were dealing with chump change there. I doubt the enquirer will report anything the Dean is reporting, and I doubt Heimlich or anyone else will face charges, because white people usually close ranks and shield one another from responsibility.
26 Apr 2006 at 01:44 pm | #
CincySue, before you get a chance to ask: Yes, I am white.
26 Apr 2006 at 02:15 pm | #
CABV: I doubt the enquirer will report anything the Dean is reporting
Care to make a wager on that CABV? I’ll bet the Enquirer will print something about Three Centurions before Election Day, 2006.
You choose the dollar amount and the Dean can hold our money in escrow.
This isn’t an invitation to anyone but CABV, because she/he writes so many posts which suggest that failure is a foregone conclusion. This writer considers such thinking to be a self-fulfilling prophecy of defeat and that optimism is the starting point for social change.
Despite bad odds - as CABV indicates, the Enquirer tends to go easy on Republicans - this writer is willing to risk money. I’m curious to find out if CABV willing to risk money on what are good odds for her/his position?
If CABV is short on cash, let her/him suggest the terms.
26 Apr 2006 at 02:49 pm | #
FYI, The Enquirer has pulled the embarressing ‘Grandma in Iraq’ blog.
RVGIV
26 Apr 2006 at 06:21 pm | #
Reg - Granny’s still there. The Enq blogs seem to be in the middle of a re-design.
But better save Granny to disk. Like Callinan’s blog, the old girl’s scribblings may soon be lost in space.
26 Apr 2006 at 09:29 pm | #
By redesign I hope you mean they got someone who wasn’t paid by the Army.
27 Apr 2006 at 04:18 pm | #
Dean, the Buckeye State Blog just picked up your letter to Callinan, with this commentary:
Without a doubt the Cinci enquirer is the worst paper in Ohio. They purposely avoid covering Democrats and purposely fail to report Republican shenanigans. The Cincinnati Beacon has long been on the case, and this is another great example of Citizen journalism.
27 Apr 2006 at 06:42 pm | #
Dean:
Wonderful job. This article and others like it are why you have faithful readers. Now if we can just cut the Nick Spencer crap out you’d have what you’re promoting - Cincinnati’s truesource of news.
28 Apr 2006 at 07:43 pm | #
I’m giving up on them. I did grand jury once and read about “how the grand jury came to their decision.” None of us talked to anyone. They make shit up to fit the moment.
As long as we have Jason,the NY Times and the LA Times as well as CNN and Msnbc- who gives a rats ass about how much they miss our subscriptions. Same for the local tv stations. We have more shootings in this city that NEVER get reported any where.
Just for a good time- go sit by the ER at UC on a Friday nite w/ a cooler and watch the action. What a friggin’ joke. They just plain sux worse than the colored funny paper USA Today- OOPS- owned by the same people!!!!