Cincy GOP Councilwoman: Caught With Her Shirt On And Ethics Off

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- People have their Irish up at Cincinnati Councilwoman Leslie Ghiz over her vote to close down a popular East Side watering hole where she recently spent a day campaigning and raising funds for the American Cancer Society.

The Republican -- a lawyer who is seeking reelection this fall -- has been accused of wearing a "Vote Ghiz" shirt on the premises she now finds offensive to the Hyde Park neighborhood. The bar is R.P. McMurphy's and faces the loss of its liquor license.

Humorists have e-mailed The Daily Bellwether saying Ghiz shouldn't have worn a shirt at all -- then there really would be reason to vote to close the bar.

Ghiz has campaigned on a theme of "trust and accountability" but Jennifer McGuire found her woefully lacking in those qualities in a letter to the editor published in today's Cincinnati Enquirer, a letter that captured the views of many who see the councilwoman as something of a hypocrite.

"Less that a month ago, R.P's held a benefit for the American Cancer Society and raised $15,000 for the cause. And Ghiz spent the whole day there in her 'Vote Ghiz' t-shirt campaigning to the patrons of the very bar she is now voting to shut down. I supported Ghiz when she ran for council the first time. Her hypocrisy has cost her that support."

The full-text of the letter is HERE. There are nine Cincinnati City Council seats with only two held by Republicans. Ghiz has been active in portraying herself as someone who wants to make government accountable and the municipal environs as crime free as possible. She says,

"Trust and accountability are very important qualities to me . . . I have worked very hard to put Cincinnati first. And we have had some great successes. Things don't always move as quickly as I would like, but if you keep fighting the good fight, the City wins in the end. I have focused my efforts on the safety of our citizens and fiscal responsibility, and will continue to do so."

Her campaign website has a lot more information, including biographical data about the Capital University law school grad. Ghiz is going to catch serious flak over her soiree at the Irish pub.