Federal agencies conducted a raid at Cleveland City Hall Wednesday night.
The FBI said in a statement that members of the agency "were present in Cleveland City Hall after business hours for authorized law enforcement activity" along with the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Urban and Housing Development.
Additional information can't be provided as this matter is sealed by the federal court, according to the FBI.
City of Cleveland spokesman Dan Williams said in a statement that they do not discuss ongoing investigations but they "will fully cooperate."
Cleveland City Councilman Brian Kazy told News 5, “I was just as shocked as everyone else. I knew nothing about the investigation and still don’t. I am not aware of any wrong doings at Cleveland City Hall”.
The office of Cleveland City Council said they were not involved in the search and every council person News 5 spoke with today was in the dark about the focus of the search.
"I serve on one of the lead committees that oversees activity of HUD within the city of Cleveland. There was no conversation there," said Cleveland councilman Matt Zone. "We were all caught off guard and we'll wait to see how the facts lay out."
Since HUD agents were involved, there is speculation about which department was the target of the search. Michael Cosgrove, director of Community Development, said he could not comment.
Darryl Madden, with the office of communications for the HUD inspector general, sent the following statement:
"It is the policy of the HUD Inspector General to neither confirm nor deny any investigative actions that may or may not be underway."
