CLEVELAND, Ohio — A top architect of Mayor Justin Bibb’s plan to remake downtown Cleveland, which is expected to provide massive public subsidies to Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert’s riverfront project, is taking a job with the Cavs.
Cleveland Chief Finance Officer Ahmed Abonamah has been tapped as the team’s next chief financial officer, according to a Cavs spokesman.
The move has raised the eyebrows of City Hall observers, including a government watchdog, who are concerned about the ethical implications of Abonamah’s transition.
Since Abonamah was hired by Bibb in 2022 to oversee the city’s finances, he’s played an instrumental role in launching the mayor’s downtown revitalization efforts. Those plans are expected to include tax subsidies for Gilbert’s project, which had been seeking upwards of half a billion dollars in public funds.
Last year, Abonamah was deeply involved in establishing a special downtown taxing district that included a carveout for Gilbert’s properties because the city has long-intended to offer separate tax subsidies directly to his project.
Abonamah on Wednesday told cleveland.com he consulted with Cleveland Law Director Mark Griffin in the lead-up to his Cavs interview process and “took the steps we needed to do under Ohio ethics law to ensure that I wasn’t running a foul — and no one at the city was running afoul — of the ethics requirements.”
Catherine Turcer, executive director of good-government watchdog group Common Cause Ohio, told cleveland.com that just because someone’s actions get an official OK, it doesn’t mean there aren’t still concerns.
“We shouldn’t immediately assume that because the ethics commission said there wasn’t a problem…it doesn’t necessarily mean that it meets the smell test,” Turcer said.
Asked about the ethics of such a move, Abonamah told cleveland.com he sees a critical distinction between Gilbert’s Bedrock company, which is slated for the city subsidies, and his separate company, Rock Entertainment Group, which includes the Cavs.
“I’m not working for [Bedrock],” Abonamah said, adding, “There’s sort-of the initial appearance, and then there’s reality. And I think the reality is that my day-to-day work is not going to put me in a position that would have the perception of something not above-board happening.”
Bibb’s office downplayed any ethical concerns about Abonamah’s move.
In a statement, Bibb’s spokeswoman, Sarah Johnson, said that “while we understand the concerns being raised, we want to assure the public that all decisions made by Ahmed in his role with the city were in accordance with ethical guidelines and regulations.”
Johnson added: “The city of Cleveland takes the integrity of its finances very seriously.”
A Cavs spokesman responded to questions from cleveland.com, but not one that asked specifically if Abonamah’s work at City Hall played a role in the decision to hire him.
The spokesman said the team…
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