CLEVELAND– The public can now see and hear all the evidence and testimony used in the case to convict Jimmy Dimora, found guilty of corruption charges three and a half years ago.
Reporters waited Thursday morning at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Each received two sets of DVD’s containing more than 1000 exhibits of still pictures, videos, wiretapped conversations and transcripts.
Dimora fought to keep the evidence from being released. He argues that the media would only use it to sensationalize the case, assassinate his character and embarrass his family.
But the evidence shows Dimora is his own worst enemy in making that happen.
Media outlets including Channel 3 argued that unsealing the evidence would educate the public and let all understand what Dimora did, how he did it and how investigators built a brick-by-brick case against him.
The video and stills show Dimora and members of his crew on a junket to Las Vegas paid for by contractor, Ferris Kleem. His wish that “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” did not happen as lurid details came out in court in conversations full of obscenities and disrespect for women.
There are pictures of Dimora enjoying many lavish meals in swanky, Greater Cleveland restaurants in which others picked up the tab. There are also photographs of free or cut-rate improvements added to Dimora’s home.
Dimora is serving a 28-year sentence in a federal prison in California. He argues that he’s gotten a much longer sentence than what many drug kingpins, some killers and other public officials convicted of more serious and bigger corruption charges are serving.
He still maintains his innocence. He claims that friends were just being generous because they liked him, not because he provided any favors. There is no phone conversation where Dimora says anything like “I will do that for you if you do this for me.”
The United States Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal. He has asked the President to commute his sentence.
All of this evidence would have been previously seen by the public if his case had been in Cuyahoga County Court. Cameras are allowed there, but not in Federal Court.