Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo issued an apology today, as she addressed the I-Square controversy and recent resignations on the COMIDA board.
In a news conference at the county office building, Dinolfo outlined the timetable of events that has resulted in four COMIDA board members resigning, and I-Square owner Mike Nolan saying his business has been hurt.
Dinolfo says her former assistant Justin Roj provided Republican Party Chair Bill Reilich with information that he shouldn't have.
"I was not aware that he contacted the GOP Chair, and shared this information. If I had been aware, I would have stopped it. His sharing of this information for political purpose was wrong and should not have occured." she said.
Dinolofo said Roj admitted he lied about it to her, and she asked for Roj's resignation soon afterward.
Reilich said the I-Square project is in default, something owner Mike Nolan has repeatedly denied.
COMIDA has since told the Nolans their project was not in default.
Dinolfo said she waited as long as she did to come forward because the Monroe County District Attorney's office hadn't completed it's investigation into the matter.
At the news conference, Dinolfo apologized to the public, the media, COMIDA board members, and Mike and Wendy Nolan, owners of I-Square.
But Mike Nolan said Dinolfo did not solve the issue.
"She took five or six questions and immediately her communications director pulled her offstage. that's not the way to make this go away. We need this to come to an end, he said. "We've invested our entire life into this business, and to have it attacked by a bunch of nitwit politicians, this is killing me."
The Nolans are looking for a full retraction.
Going forward, Dinolfo says she's study the relationship between COMIDA and the county, and developing safeguards so this won't happen again.
Monroe County Democratic Minority Leader Cindy Kaleh issued this statement in response:
“It’s a shame County Executive Dinolfo took over a month to apologize to her fellow citizens that were treated as collateral damage in a botched political hit job. Today the executive cast her trusted advisor Justin Roj as the sole actor in a Machiavellian drama. However, questions remain: did Roj have the authority to direct COMIDA’s lawyers to take action and ultimately, did Roj authorize the expenditure of taxpayer money to perform this cover up?”
Here’s County Executive Dinolfo issuing her apology: