John J. Cafaro

John J. "J.J." Cafaro is an American businessman and convicted felon best known for his business ventures in Northeast Ohio and his controversial political involvement with U.S. president Donald Trump. He pleaded guilty to bribing U.S. representative James Traficant in 2001.

Early life

Cafaro is the son of William M. Cafaro, a national mall developer who founded the Cafaro Company and left $800 million to his family following his death in 1998.[1]

Career

Cafaro was the executive vice president at the Cafaro Company and was involved with developing Meadowbrook Mall and the Ohio Valley Mall.[2][3] He had largely left the business in the late 1980s as his older brother, Anthony Cafaro, became the company's president.[4]

Cafaro acquired the Avanti Motor Company in 1987.[5][6] Under his ownership, Avanti moved all vehicle production from South Bend, Indiana, to Youngstown, Ohio. Only 405 Avantis were made in four years at the Youngstown plant, which closed in 1991.[6]

In 2001, Cafaro pled guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to commit bribery.[1] He cooperated with federal investigators, resulting in a more lenient penalty; he was fined $150,000 and placed on probation for bribing then-U.S. representative James Traficant. In 2005, Cafaro also admitted to making illegal contributions to the election campaign of his daughter, Capri Cafaro, in 2004.[7] On 8 June 2010, he was sentenced to $250,000 and three years probation in this case.[8]

Cafaro retired from the Cafaro Company in 2009.[9] In 2010, he founded the J.J. Cafaro Investment Trust in Brookfield, Ohio.[10][2]

Cafaro reportedly donated $250,000 in 2020 and $100,000 in 2024 to U.S. president Donald Trump's campaigns,[3] and contributed more than $300,000 to political committees connected to Trump.[10] He is a neighbor to Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.[3][10]

2026 Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool controversy

Green Water Solutions LLC, which does business as Greenwater Services, is owned by Cafaro's firm. In April 2026, Greenwater Services received a no-bid, $1.7 million contract from the U.S. Department of the Interior to refurbish the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool's filtration system on the National Mall.[11] David Schutzenhofer, who manages Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, reportedly advised on the Reflecting Pool project and was the person in contact with Greenwater Services ahead of the contract being awarded.[12][13]

Personal life

Cafaro is married to Janet Cafaro.[14][15] He lives in Palm Beach, Florida,[3][10] and previously had a residence in Chevy Chase, Maryland.[4] One of Cafaro's daughters, Capri Cafaro, is a former Ohio State Senator.[7][16]

References

  1. 1 2 "Traficant Promises To Expose FBI Corruption". cleveland19.com. May 7, 2001. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  2. 1 2 Cafaro, John J. "John J. Cafaro on about.me". about.me. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Stanton, Andrew (June 19, 2026). "Trump donor John Cafaro scrutinized amid Lincoln Reflecting Pool debacle". Newsweek. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
  4. 1 2 Eaton, Sabrina (June 22, 2026). "The reflecting pool debacle has an Ohio connection, and it goes deeper than green water". cleveland. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  5. ↑ Schuon, Marshall (April 23, 1989). "About Cars; 1989 Avanti Catches Your Eye". The New York Times. ProQuest 427146556.
  6. 1 2 "Worker Hopes Avanti Has Its Day – again". Chicago Tribune. December 18, 1994.
  7. 1 2 Peter Krouse, cleveland com (February 22, 2010). "State Sen. Capri Cafaro's dad admits making illegal contribution to her unsuccessful bid for Congress". cleveland. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  8. ↑ https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2010/06/john_cafaro_gets_probation_for.html
  9. ↑ "Cafaro Co. announces senior retirements". Chain Store Age. December 31, 2009. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Fahrenthold, David A. (June 19, 2026). "Firm Tied to Trump Donor Got No-Bid Contract to Clean Reflecting Pool". The New York Times. ProQuest 3353885222.
  11. ↑ "Questions swirl over Trump-linked firm given $1.7M no-bid contract to clean Reflecting Pool water before algae returned". Yahoo News. June 19, 2026. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  12. ↑ Fahrenthold, David A.; Joselow, Maxine (May 19, 2026). "Manager at Trump's N.J. Golf Club Helped Plan Reflecting Pool Repairs". The New York Times. ProQuest 3343409149.
  13. ↑ Brancolini, Janna (June 19, 2026). "Trump's Botched Vanity Project Fiasco Just Got Even More Embarrassing". The Daily Beast. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Two campus buildings renamed in recognition of J.J. and Janet Cafaro and Family". ysu.edu. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Inside the Red Cross Ball With President Trump and the First Lady". ABC News. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  16. ↑ "How Capri S. Cafaro Went From Politics To Pies". Cherry Bombe. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
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