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Dawn Zinni, the Republican candidate for Trumbull County recorder, owes more than $100,000 in a court judgment against her and faces five other lawsuits, seeking more than $325,000, from her and her failed trucking business.
Zinni, of Cortland, a first-time candidate, is trying to unseat incumbent Recorder Tod Latell, a Girard Democrat who is seeking his third four-year term in the Nov. 5 election.
Zinni formed Buckeye Transport Group LLC on Aug. 11, 2017, and dissolved the corporation June 9, according to the Ohio secretary of state's office.
Zinni and Buckeye Transport entered into contracts with three companies to purchase vehicles and equipment that led to lawsuits in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.
She alone also faces three other lawsuits in Trumbull County Central District Court for failing to pay credit card bills.
When initially asked by this newspaper on her candidate questionnaire if she's ever been involved as a plaintiff or a defendant in any civil legal action and, if so, to explain, Zinni wrote: "Was the owner of a small trucking company and was involved in a lawsuit after going out of business due to economy and COVID-19."
But it's much more than that.
In the lawsuit that she already lost, Zinni signed a contract on Aug. 23, 2021, with BMO Harris Bank N.A. of Chicago for a $105,853 loan and security agreement to purchase a vehicle for her company, according to court documents. She started making monthly payments of at least $2,117 on Oct. 7, 2021, and stopped April 7, 2023.
Zinni also signed a contract on Feb. 1, 2021, with BMO for a loan and security agreement for $90,362. She made payments of at least $1,807 starting Aug. 1, 2021, and defaulted starting May 1, 2023, according to the lawsuit.
The company sued her on Aug. 11, 2023, for $102,759.
She was ordered on June 20 by Trumbull County Common Pleas Judge Sean O'Brien to pay $102,759 to BMO. Zinni also has failed to pay $140 in court fees even after being sent two notices.
Zinni said: "I'm glad that you brought up the financial hardships incurred (by) my once thriving business encountered due to Bidenomics. It is something that I have had to painstakingly face and walk through just as so many Trumbull County citizens and Americans nationwide have."
Zinni said her business in 2020 "was doing great financially. Unfortunately, under the current administration, in 2023, not only my small business, but nearly 88,000 other large and small trucking companies, including Yellow Corp. and Convoy, went under -- the largest loss to the industry in more than 25 years."
She added: "I would love to have avoided the stress, sleepless nights and humbling experience of falling behind in finances, but no amount of working harder or working smarter could have staved off the crash collision that (Joe) Biden-(Kamala) Harris' failing economy brought to my own front door."
Zinni said her financial issues are why she is running for recorder.
"It truly has been through my own personal suffering and increased level of awareness that I decided there was a need for me to get involved in government," she said.
Zinni said paying back her debt "is and always has been an important part of my character. The trucks in question that my company purchased were approximately $160,000 after I bought them. I paid approximately $5,000 a month in excess of 36 months to the creditors over the year my business was operating. Technically, I did pay for the trucks and then some. However, when the business couldn't sustain those payments, which would have amounted to three times the original purchase price but with only 40% of their actual value, I offered to give them back. Initially, the creditors refused to accept them. It made me realize how true the word of God is as Proverbs 22:7 states: 'The rich rules over the poor. And the borrower is servant to the lender.'"
The court documents state Zinni made only 18 of the 50 monthly payments on the first vehicle and 21 out of 50 monthly payments on the other vehicle.
Zinni said the trucks have since been accepted "and all parties are satisfied with the collaborative work to make good out of an unfortunate situation."
OTHER LAWSUITS
Zinni and Buckeye Transport had two other lawsuits filed this year against them for defaulting on loans to pay for vehicles and equipment.
One is for defaulting on payments to Amur Equipment Finance Inc. of Grand Island, Nebraska, and seeks $164,405 and the other is from Daimler Truck Financial Services USA LLC of West Jacksonville, Florida, for $30,090.
In addition to those court issues, Zinni is named in three lawsuits in Trumbull County Central District Court for a total of $29,680 for nonpayment of credit cards.
"There is ongoing communication with all of the parties" and "court filings are ongoing," Zinni said. "At times, there has been some delay on both sides due to unforeseen circumstances and / or lack of communication. I'm confident the judgment will be reversed and these issues will be cleared up and rectified."
Between 2000 and 2011, Zinni was named in 10 lawsuits in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court for foreclosures, failure to pay state income tax and other debts. All of those named her as a co-defendant with her then-husband, Greg. They divorced in 2010.
"Regarding long ago lawsuits naming my ex-husband, Greg Zinni, those primarily were aimed at Greg. I was named -- as is common being a spouse -- but was not involved and have little information to provide other than, to my knowledge, those were favorably resolved. Unfortunately, my ex-husband is deceased otherwise I would defer to him for you to obtain greater clarity in his explanation."
Zinni got a second divorce in February and she has failed to pay $18 in fees to Trumbull County Common Pleas Court even after being sent two notices.
Zinni recently married Mark A. Hanni of Boardman, a 7th District Court of Appeals judge. For Hanni to remain eligible to be a court of appeals judge, he cannot live in Trumbull County as it's out of the court's jurisdiction. For Zinni to be recorder, she has to reside in Trumbull County.
Zinni said she is definitely not moving out of Trumbull County.
LATELL'S RESPONSE
Asked to respond to Zinni's various lawsuits, Latell said, "I don't think it is proper for me to comment on her personal issues. However, I do believe fiscal responsibility should be required by anyone in charge of taxpayer dollars."
Latell said the recorder's office is "one of the most nonpartisan offices in the county," and "my team and I have worked hard to gain the well-respected reputation we have locally and from recorders all across our state. It is incumbent upon me and all elected officials to be fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars. The people of Trumbull County put their faith and trust in us to do so."
On television commercials for her campaign, Zinni says she "will bring my Christian values to the recorder's office."
Asked what that has to do with being a recorder, Zinni said: "I intend to bring integrity, compassion and respect, efficiency and conservative governing to all people in Trumbull County when elected to office. I see Christian values as being kind, humble, honest, fair and I also intend to serve the public as I would want to be served as a constituent / consumer."
She said any question that she would not welcome those of other faiths is "absurd" and "it should go without saying that all people are welcome and will be served by the recorder's office under my leadership."