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To the editor:
I am not a politician or have an axe to grind. I am a citizen and business owner in this county and state that expects better out of the people in power.
Our Columbiana County Republican Chairman, Dave Johnson, has been in power for 30 years in various positions and controls a lot of power at this time.
He is our county Republican Party Chairman, Ohio GOP Treasurer, State Central Committeeman, on the Board of Elections, Chairman on the Board of Workers Compensation and there are more.
Dave Johnson said of this paper that they are making "crazy accusations" in regards to an article about the 100-page lawsuit filed in Franklin County by five Ohio GOP committee members that Ohioans voted into these positions.
One is a 40-year accountant, Mark Bainbridge. Dave Johnson, Ohio GOP Treasurer; and Bob Paduchik, Ohio GOP Chairman; are named in this filing in regards to missing funds.
I highly recommend everyone concerned about the state of our government do some searches and read the facts and truth that you won't ever hear from those in charge. There is a lot of information if you search Ohio GOP audit.
Dave Johnson said on WKBN's Dan Rivers program that there were two audits done. One by Jane Timken and one by Bob Paduchik and that there is nothing there. He said the lawsuit "doesn't have standing" and "will be dismissed."
There hasn't been an audit for 16 to 20 years despite GOP bylaws stating there should be a robust yearly look into financials. Jane Timken's audit was commissioned by her with an accounting firm in Canton, Clifton Larson Allen LLP; CLA. She did not go through the proper procedure and appointed them with a clear conflict of interest. This firm does her personal taxes and finances and also the finances of her husband, Tim Timken's political lobbying firm McKinley Strategies. Also, Tim Timken's vice president of McKinley Strategies is Jason Paduchik, the brother of the Ohio GOP Chairman Bob Paduchik. This was a clear ethics violation. There is an email from CLA withdrawing from the audit stating they need "to prioritize its efforts on current accounting and reporting matters."
They also withdrew because they didn't want to lose Timken's business if she was called out for poor accounting procedures. Johnson said committee members harassed, meddled and antagonized CLA and that is why they withdrew. Emails state the opposite. It appears the audit was not done.
Bob Paduchik never did an audit. Compass Pointe an accounting firm out of Indiana was commissioned but an audit was never done. An article in The Ohio Star reports that it was an "accounting procedures report." It was not a full audit report.
Dave Johnson also said on Dan Rivers program that "audits are not for the public" when asked if he would show the audits. I ask why aren't they for the public? There wouldn't be personal information and only accounting of money that is donated by fundraisers and We the People. What's the secret?
In 2017, Timken commissioned Rightside Compliance. Rightside is a consulting firm that assists political organizations in keeping their records straight. The report they received back was "devastating" about the lack of financial procedures. Nothing was done to correct anything after receiving this report.
Show us this report if audits aren't for the public. Jane Timken, your hands are too dirty to be our next senator and as for the Ohio GOP the truth will be revealed. One hundred pages is a lot of evidence.
SHERRY KISSINGER,
Rogers