Newspapers must 'do better'

I take exception to the articles published by The Norwalk Reflector and Sandusky Register for ongoing allegations repeated by the editor/reporters at those newspapers and local citizens that the Auditor of State's Office is involved in some sort of concerted effort to hide wrongdoing by public officials in the Village of Milan. Faber These articles are, essentially, a recitation of an email sent to my office by Mary Bruno, a former Milan fiscal officer involved in a long-running dispute with Village officials. While the reporter did use part of an initial statement we provided in response to that email, the newspaper conveniently left out the portion in which we stated the allegations were inaccurate and/or misguided. We stand by our work and do not hide the wrongdoing of public officials. Since I took office in 2019, my Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has secured more than 120 criminal convictions against public officials who lie, steal and cheat, resulting in findings for recovery of more than $20.6 million. Do you suspect fraud among public officials? Call our hotline (866-FRAUD-OH, or 866-372-8364). Sometimes, tips we receive result in findings for recovery and/or criminal prosecutions. For example, in early 2017, nearly two years before I took office, SIU launched an investigation of Bruno after we received complaints about alleged improprieties during her time as fiscal officer. That investigation determined that Bruno improperly received $2,979 in pay for hours she did not work – during three consecutive pay periods during fiscal year 2016, she claimed paid time off while also working regular hours, resulting in comp time earned at time and a half. The Village's policies at the time did not allow Bruno to claim sick or vacation time while still working regular hours and earning overtime as a result. We issued a finding for recovery for $2,979, which Bruno has not repaid and still owes to the taxpayers of the Village of Milan. We found no other wrongdoing on her part and pursued no criminal charges. Since we issued our finding for recovery, Bruno and others have vocally disputed our work in a cycle that has repeated itself for five years running. Public records are requested and obtained, Bruno and others allege those records prove whatever points they're trying to make, and no explanation can convince them otherwise. The Norwalk Reflector and The Sandusky Register then repeats falsehoods as fact, with its reporters giving credence to any allegations handed to them, in an attempt at watchdog journalism that does not stand up to scrutiny. The current point of contention involves the most recent biennial audit of the village, which included several findings for recovery that were either repaid or resolved under audit. As our audits make clear, Milan has had long standing issues regarding fiscal management and loose fiscal management. We aren't hiding anything – you can read the report for yourself (https://ohioauditor.gov/auditsearch/search.aspx) or request other related records from my office. We reviewed the allegations made by Bruno and others. While we issued several findings regarding poor controls and weak fiscal management, including some that lead to findings for recovery, as in Bruno's case, we did not find any conduct that the audit team or SIU would recommend criminal prosecution. If your paper or concerned citizens groups disagree, you can always submit your complaints to local law enforcement for their review as well. As reflected in our audit, we didn't believe that the conduct cited rose to that level. If the citizens of Milan are unhappy with how the Village is being run, they should take up that issue at the ballot box or other political means and not disparage the work of my office. We repeat it here, since The Norwalk Reflector reporter didn't believe it pertinent to the story: The allegations made by Bruno and others and parroted as fact by the newspaper are inaccurate and misguided. The Norwalk Reflector and The Sandusky Register have taken sides on these issues, and the July 10 article gives full credence to unfounded allegations. We're big supporters of the First Amendment and a free press, but your editor and reporter are doing readers a disservice. Do better. Editor's note: Faber is the auditor of the state of Ohio. The news article to which he is referring was published July 13, 2024, "Keeping residents in the dark." It reported that Faber would not answer questions about the 2020-21 financial audit for the village of Milan, which substantially understates the number and total amount of losses in taxpayer money due to unlawful payroll and other unlawful payments to village employees. Some of the unlawful payments were repaid after the auditor issued Findings For Recovery. Other instances of employees receiving payments for work time, sick leave, vacation and comp time they had not earned were reconciled without Findings For Recovery. Faber refused to release specific records that would identify those other instances, citing attorney-client privilege.