Video shows Michelle Hung, Harry Williamson kissing inside county building in February

ELYRIA — Two days after Lorain County Commissioner Michelle Hung abstained from voting on the firing of county 911 Director Harry Williamson, a video provided to The Chronicle-Telegram on Thursday shows Hung and Williamson, her subordinate, sharing a kiss inside a county building in February. In the nine-second video taken from a surveillance camera inside the Gateway Center, a county-owned complex at 320-322 Gateway Blvd. N. in Elyria, Hung and Williamson can be seen kissing each other in a darkened hallway. Hung then enters a women's bathroom as Williamson walks away. The Gateway Center houses the county's 911 backup center, records storage and Emergency Management Agency offices. Williamson was fired Tuesday after commissioners Matt Lundy, a Democrat, and David Moore, a Republican, voted to terminate his employment. Hung, a Republican, abstained from the vote, later telling The Chronicle that she didn't want to have her hands in a "bloodbath." A Chronicle-Telegram reporter asked Hung on Tuesday night if she abstained from voting to fire Williamson because she and Williamson were in a relationship. "I don't have a comment on that right now," she said at the time. Hung declined to comment Thursday when asked about the video. Shown the video by a reporter, Lundy said he was "disturbed and disappointed." "Obviously that's not something you expect to see," he said Thursday. "I think it confirms that we made the right decision (to fire Williamson) and it concerns me that it's in one of our buildings. It shouldn't have happened. This is the first I've seen it. That's not acceptable behavior in the workplace, and it confirms that the action that was taken was appropriate action." "I was lied to" by Hung, Lundy added. "I was told this was a friendship" between them. Shown the video by a reporter, County Administrator Tom Williams said Thursday he was "95 percent certain" the video was taken in a hallway in the Gateway Center building. Lundy and Moore voted to fire Williamson and Lorain County Job & Family Services Director Tim Carrion following a 3½-hour closed executive session Tuesday morning. Hung abstained from the vote, which ended up 2-0 in favor of the terminations. "During transition leading up to our start on Jan. 4, Dave Moore and Tom Williams repeatedly referred to our first day as, quote, 'Bloody Monday,'" Hung said Tuesday. "The reason I abstained is because I could not participate or have my hands in another bloodbath." Hung was referencing Jan. 4 this year, when she and Moore had their first meeting as elected commissioners and several county department heads were replaced by Hung and Moore. Williams denied using the phrase "Bloody Monday" in reference to Jan. 4, and Moore questioned Hung's explanation. Lundy and Moore gave vague public statements about their reasons behind the firings Tuesday. In a joint statement Lundy and Moore provided to The Chronicle on Thursday, they said the following: "We will not and cannot discuss comments made in executive session. We are, however, absolutely committed to being transparent with the public. Please understand that personnel matters can lead to litigation and, as commissioners, we have a responsibility to protect Lorain County and its taxpayers. Also, please understand that HR (human resources) decisions made by us impact county employees who are individuals and have families. Therefore, our decisions are made after a thorough legal review. "For some time, we operated with the understanding there was a 'friendship' between our colleague, Michelle Hung, and the 911 director. Recently, our colleague made a 'public admission' of a more significant and intimate relationship between herself and Director Williamson. We believe an intimate relationship involving a superior and subordinate requires immediate action. "This matter was not treated differently. It was addressed promptly and in the best interests of Lorain County. The county personnel manual states that county employees are 'expected to maintain the highest possible ethical and moral standards.' Also, 'conduct that interferes with normal business operations, brings discredit to the office or county.' Following a legal review and consultation, we felt termination was warranted and acted immediately," the statement concluded. Hung said she had no comment on her colleagues' joint statement after being provided a copy of it Thursday. David Arredondo, chairman of the Lorain County Republican Party, gave the following statement to The Chronicle on Thursday: "I'm very saddened to learn of Commissioner Hung's situation. I'm especially saddened for her family at this time. It is my hope that she weighs all her options, and makes the right decision regarding her family, the county and the Lorain County Republican Party." The Lorain County Democratic Party "won't take any position" on the matter, Chairman Tony Giardini said Thursday. Hung is "not one of our officeholders," Giardini said, adding that his concern was more for the former county employees fired after Hung and Moore took office Jan. 4 and were replaced by employees chosen by the new Republican officeholders. If Hung used her position as commissioner to help or harm Williamson, that's one matter, Giardini said. Or if the two were in a relationship prior to his hiring, "that should have been disclosed," he said. "If not, it's a personal decision" for her to choose whether to resign or remain commissioner, Giardini said. Lorain County Prosecutor J.D. Tomlinson told The Chronicle on Thursday he had no comment on the matter. Williamson, the former president of the Lorain County AFL-CIO, was hired as director of Lorain County 911 in January, making an annual salary of $77,000. Carrion, who was making just under $106,000 when he was fired, was working under a "last chance agreement" after allegations arose that he had sexually harassed at least three female employees at JFS. Moore and Hung had voted to hire both Carrion and Williamson in January. Lundy voted against hiring the two men. As for the reasons behind Carrion's firing, Lundy and Moore added the following to Thursday's joint statement: "Director Carrion has received multiple disciplinary warnings in connection with his employment. His last chance agreement states, 'refrain from taking any actions or making verbal remarks that may be construed as retaliatory towards any employee or former employee who has alleged that I engaged in inappropriate behavior.' "In connection with his employment, we decided that it was in the best interest of Lorain County to make a change and go in a different direction. In both circumstances, we believe that we acted responsibly, immediately and make this statement in the public interest of transparency," the statement concluded. Carrion has yet to respond to a message left by The Chronicle seeking comment on the allegations against him, as well as a message left for him seeking comment on his firing. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com. Follow him at @daveobrienCT on Twitter.