Former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora Sentenced to 28 Years in Prison

Former Cuyahoga County commissioner Jimmy Dimora, 57, was sentenced on Tuesday to 28 years in prison after having been convicted in a federal public corruption case.

Dimora, who was also an ex-Democratic Party chairman in Cleveland, denied any wrongdoing in a statement before sentencing. He claims that everything he did was for the taxpayer's good. Dimora was convicted of racketeering, bribery, and various other counts.

U.S. District Court Judge Sara Lioi sentenced Dimora after a hearing that started on Monday. Prosecutors in the case had asked for more than 22 years in jail. Dimora's attorneys requested leniency due to his poor health and similar corruption cases that had brought sentences of only a few years.

Dimora's trial finished off a federal investigation that led to more than 50 convictions involving various county officials, employees, and contractors who were caught trading bribes for government jobs and contracts.

The federal investigation helped get a referendum passed that replaced the three-commissioner county government with a county executive and council.