The Kay Rogers Release That Started It All...

With thanks to Cox reporter Josh Sweigert, I reproduce below, the entire press release from Kay Rogers.

Press Release - February 11, 2008 Contact Kay Rogers at 887-3153

BUTLER COUNTY AUDITOR QUESTIONS COMMISSIONER’S USE OF RECORDS CENTER FOR CAMPAIGN RELATED ACTIVITIES

(Hamilton, Ohio) Butler County Auditor Kay Rogers will be requesting the County Prosecutor’s Office to investigate Commissioner Chuck Furmon’s use of the county’s Records Center for campaign fundraising meetings. The meetings were attended by county employees, including department heads that report directly to Commissioner Furmon.

In yesterday’s Journal News, Furmon admitted to the campaign meetings at the Records Center, stating: “There was no expense to the county. I didn’t feel like there was a problem.”

However, Furmon’s admission of the meetings indicates clear violations of proper ethical standards for an officeholder, and creates much larger concerns to the county than he is willing to acknowledge. Also, an initial investigation into the matter by Auditor Rogers has provided conflicting information to Furmon’s explanation that the employees involved were “off the clock.”

Chiefly among Rogers’ concerns:

Furmon’s improper use of a government building for political purposes.

Possible use of a county office for improper political purposes during regular business hours, and requiring employees to be at the meetings during actual working hours. Information has come forward that the employees were not always “off the clock” as Furmon has indicated.

Use of county equipment for the purpose of conducting campaign business.

Possible use of the Records Center after business hours, which is a safety and security issue for the hundreds of workers employed by Butler County. Sensitive personal information, such as payroll, court documents, Social Security numbers and medical backgrounds, may have been compromised by allowing non-Records Center employees access to the building after hours without proper supervision or security.

Requiring county employees, including department directors and classified workers, who report directly to Commissioner Furmon, to attend campaign meetings. Commissioner Furmon may have benefited from his position of authority by requiring attendance of certain employees at the meetings.

(continued)

Auditor Rogers is steadfast in the importance of investigating these possible violations of ethics and of the law.

“I have received several calls from concerned citizens regarding Sunday’s news article, and Commissioner Furmon’s admission that he may have broken the law in regard to his use of the County Records Center. As the Auditor and the watchdog of our county, I have no alternative but to investigate the information I have been provided and to turn it over to the county Prosecutor.

“Using a county building, having campaign meetings with employees during working hours, using county equipment and putting our security at risk by having meetings at the Records Center are very serious matters. Certainly Commissioner Furmon, as a former law enforcement official, should have known better. This is the second time that Commissioner Furmon has admitted to ethical violations that put county employees at risk. Just a year ago, he admitted that he let family and friends use his taxpayer-paid county parking space – a secured space under the Government Services Building – and that he was never sure who was actually using the space and when.

“I just sent a memo out last week reminding officeholders to not use county equipment for campaign purposes. That was in reaction to a one-time incident regarding a campaign fax that apparently was a momentary lapse in judgment by one employee. Commissioner Furmon’s actions at the Records Center are apparently a pattern of campaign violations over a long time span, and are a concern both for the legal implications and security issues involved.

“These are obvious violations, whether the meetings were held “off the clock” or not. And, there is conflicting information with Commissioner Furmon’s statements that these meetings were ‘off the clock’ from the statements of others who attended the meetings, which raises concerns about Commissioner Furmon’s honesty as far as his willingness to fully admit his transgressions on this matter.

“Commissioner Furmon, in regard to the campaign meetings at the Records Center, has stated that he ‘didn’t feel they were a problem.’ Commissioner Furmon’s cavalier attitude toward proper ethical standards may be the biggest concern of all.

“I will be asking our Prosecutor, Robin Piper, to investigate the matter further. I trust his office will take the matter seriously, and handle these issues accordingly.”

See the related stories here and here for more information and analysis.

2/13 UPDATE: By the way, the above press release from Kay Rogers is STILL not on her office website...

2/15 UPDATE: You can't find that press release with a search warrant on Kay Rogers' auditor website.