Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Judge Leslie Ann Celebrezze is facing multiple counts of misconduct alleging she steered lucrative divorce cases to a long-time personal friend, according to the Ohio Disciplinary Counsel.
The three misconduct counts, filed this week with the Ohio Supreme Court, come a year after The Marshall Project - Cleveland detailed how Celebrezze accepted several divorce cases and appointed Mark Dottore and his company as receiver.
In the complaint, Celebrezze is accused by the Ohio Disciplinary Counsel of making a false statement during the investigation and violating multiple rules of judicial and professional conduct relating to public confidence and avoiding the appearance of impropriety.
Celebrezze and Dottore did not respond Friday to multiple requests for comment.
The Disciplinary Counsel alleges in the complaint that Celebrezze “disclosed to at least two of her fellow judges that she was in love with Dottore, and that she had consulted with attorneys about getting a divorce from her husband.”
The misconduct complaint stems from Celebrezze appointing Dottore and his firm to act as a receiver in complex, often lucrative, divorce cases. Receivers serve as neutral parties who take possession and control a divorcing couple’s assets while their case is pending.
The Marshall Project - Cleveland reported in July 2023 that of the court’s five judges, only Celebrezze and a second judge appointed receivers. Other judges said they had no need to appoint an outsider and handled the cases themselves.
Court records show that Celebrezze approved nearly $500,000 in fees for Dottore Companies LLC between 2017 and July 2023. The judge appointed Dottore or his daughter to be the receiver in six of the eight cases.
Dottore’s company charges between $100-$400 per hour, depending on the task, and the fees are billed to the divorcing couple.
The complaint details multiple cases in which Celebrezze used her position as the court’s administrative judge to take over high-wealth divorce cases from other judges and appoint Dottore as receiver.
One case triggered the investigation into Celebrezze.
A Strongsville businessman whose divorce case was assigned to Celebrezze said he grew suspicious of the relationship between Dottore and the judge.
The Marshall Project - Cleveland obtained surveillance videos taken by the businessman’s private investigator that show Celebrezze leaving Dottore's home and office multiple times.
One video showed the judge and Dottore kissing after leaving a steakhouse. Celebrezze admitted to having a long-time friendship with Dottore, but both denied a romantic relationship.
“I’m Italian,” Celebrezze said in an emailed statement to The Marshall Project - Cleveland, “and I frequently kiss my family and friends on the lips when I greet them or say goodbye.”
The businessman’s attorney filed an affidavit of disqualification in early 2023 seeking to have Celebrezze removed from the case. In August 2023, Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy found that Celebrezze violated court rules when she bypassed court policy to assign the case to her own docket and appoint Dottore as receiver.
Kennedy disqualified Celebrezze to avoid an appearance of impropriety, the ruling stated.
A panel at the Board of Professional Conduct of the Supreme Court of Ohio reviewed the allegations and determined that probable cause existed to file the formal complaint. Celebrezze must file a written response by Oct. 16, records show.
Once an answer is filed, a three-member panel will make a recommendation to the full board as to whether a violation occurred and the appropriate sanction, according to the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct.
Correction: A previous version of this story inaccurately described how many of the court's judges have appointed a receiver. Two of the five judges have made such appointments.
