Voinovich, Modell in spat over Browns departure

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http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15973365&BRD=1699&PAG=461&dept_id=46371&rfi=6

JEFF SCHUDEL, Morning Journal Writer

01/21/2006


...For years, Modell has said he was encouraged by a ''high-ranking'' political figure to move the team, but he always refused to name the official, saying he wanted to remain friends with him. During the Trivisonno interview, Modell indirectly named that official as Sen. George Voinovich, who in 1995 was the Ohio governor, by referring to ''Janet,'' the name of Voinovich's wife...

Modell's remarks on WTAM drew a heated response from Voinovich. He called WTAM later Thursday and said Modell is trying to ''rewrite history.''

''Modell was a liar then, and he's a liar now,'' Voinovich said. ''The thing that bothers me is, all during the time we were talking back and forth, he had already cut a deal to take the team to Baltimore.

''If you want to know a reason why a lot of the businesspeople in (Cleveland) have nothing more to do with Art Modell and why he's not welcome here it's because he wasn't forthright and honest with us.''...("us".He's been a Republican politician forever but he refers to himself as a 'businessperson'.Now THAT is a slip.What was in it for Ohio Governor Voinovich to convince Modell to move his Ohio business to another state?Bribed by Baltimore 'businesspeople'?)