Gaul served as Treasurer of Cuyahoga County from 1975 to 1996. In 1997, Gaul was acquitted by the
Ohio Court of Appeals of any criminal wrongdoing in association with SAFE. The court overturned Gaul's conviction by an inferior court for "dereliction of duty", for which he had been sentenced to 90 days in jail. In 1989, Gaul was criticized for appearing in radio advertisements in which he endorsed certificates of deposits at Transohio Saving Bank. Gaul said he had been paid for the advertisements but donated the payment to charity. ==Other political offices and candidacies==