Last month, trustees reported Matthews for violating state laws and township policies, referring the case to the Ohio Auditor’s Office. Initially, the Auditor of State’s Office declined to investigate, stating that Miami Twp.‘s financial system had detected and stopped the attempted transaction.
However, Auditor of State spokesman Marc Kovac told this news outlet that at the request of the township’s legal counsel, the office provided details on Ohio’s Fiscal Integrity Act, which outlines procedures for removing officials from office.
On Friday, Kovac told the Dayton Daily News that the Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit had opened an investigation into Miami Twp. “but that is our normal operating procedure when we receive Fiscal Integrity Act complaints, which we did in this instance from the township,” he said.
“Because it’s an open investigation, we have no further comment at this time,” Kovac said.
When reached for comment Friday, both township Trustee President Terry Posey Jr. and Matthews declined to comment on the pending investigation.
In a lawsuit filed last month in Montgomery County seeking an injunction, the township alleged that Matthews acted without approval when making financial agreements — including two deals totaling $9.7 million to buy 3,000 gold coins at above-market prices.
He also allegedly arranged for the coins to be stored in Texas for an annual fee. Matthews filed a response to the injunction request by its May 13 deadline, saying the lawsuit was without merit.
Asked for comment regarding that filing, he said, “I want the decision made in the court of law, not the court of public opinion.”
About the Author
