E. Cleveland Sues Firms That Bribed Mayor

CLEVELAND (CN) – Two companies bribed former East Cleveland Mayor Emmanuel Onunwor to get millions of dollars in no-bid contracts that the mayor and City Council approved, often without even reading them, the City of East Cleveland claims in Cuyahoga County Court.     The city claims CH2M Hill Co., of Colorado and Ohio, and Ralph Tyler Cos., of Cleveland, paid the bribes through co-defendant Nathaniel Gray, who ran a consulting business, ETNA Associates, in Cleveland. It also sued Ralph Tyler, who allegedly funneled bribes to Onunwor through the Ralph Tyler Cos.     Onunwor and Gray are in prison. The City demands $14 million: compensatory damages of $3.5 million, statutory damages of $7 million, and punitive damages of $3.5 million.