State auditor widens probe of Fairfield County clerk of courts office

Source: The Columbus Dispatch, OhioAug.迷你倉新蒲崗 13--LANCASTER, Ohio -- The state auditor's investigation into the Fairfield County clerk of courts appears to be deepening.State Auditor David Yost notified Clerk of Courts Deborah Smalley and the county commissioners by letter on Wednesday that based on his office's preliminary investigation of "certain activities" of the clerk's office, he was initiating a special audit.Also, county Sheriff Dave Phalen notified Smalley in a written memorandum the same day that he had been directed by the state auditor's office to terminate her electronic key fob during the criminal investigation into her office.Security-camera footage showed that Dave Smalley, her husband, had used Deborah Smalley's key fob to enter the clerk's office on June 30, at 6:50 p.m., and had "brought in and removed items from the Clerk's Office," Phalen wrote.The county commissioners released copies of the correspondence this morning. The clerk of courts is elected separately, but the county commissioners were included in the correspondence related to the special audit because Fairfield County will be charged for it.The removal of Smalley's key fob means she will have to use the regular public entrance to her office during regular business hours.Smalley, a Republican, is on vacation this week. Messages were left for her and her husband seeking comment.Robert F. Smith, assistant legal counsel in the state auditor's office, has been appointed special prosecutor in the investigation into Smalley's office. County Common Pleas Court Judge Chris A. Martin approved t迷你倉出租e appointment last month at the request of county Prosecutor Gregg Marx.A court filing by Marx outlined what the state auditor's office is examining."Allegations arose on or about June 17, 2013, when former employees of Deborah Smalley raised complaints against Ms. Smalley to the Ohio Auditor of State's Office that they were required to make contributions to Ms. Smalley's campaign fund and that they were required to work on her political campaign while on county time and that they were compensated for work on Deborah Smalley's political campaign conducted after working hours by being given "comp time," Marx wrote."These allegations have been corroborated by investigators for the Auditor of State's Office through documents obtained from the Fairfield County Clerk of Courts Office."An investigator with the state auditor's office filed subpoenas last month seeking charge-account records, including for Lowe's and Hobby Lobby, that the clerk of courts sent to the county auditor for payment, as well as Smalley's bank-account information.Subpoenas also were filed seeking records for Smalley's employee salaries, and their compensatory, vacation and leave time.Smalley was appointed to the job in 2005 by the county Republican Party Central Committee to fill an unexpired term. She won election in 2006 and re-election in 2008 and 2012.The job pays $68,903. The office has 46 employees including Smalley.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, Ohio) Visit The Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, Ohio) at .dispatch.com Distributed by MCT Information Services儲存倉