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Investigation Finds Employee Misused State Time Campaigning

WCBE 90.5FM | By Ohio Public Radio

Published September 9, 2016 at 5:13 PM EDT

A state employee has been fired after Ohio's official watchdog found he misused state time to campaign for Republicans.

Ohio Public Radio's Andy Chow reports.

An anonymous source alleged that John Matthews a director with the Industrial Commission of Ohio was campaigning during work hours.

The state inspector general looked into it and found Matthews placed and answered more than 540 phone calls related to campaigning, totaling about 38 hours of time meant to be for work. That was in a four month span.

Matthews is the Marion County Republican Party Chairman and was running for re-election to the State Central Committee.

A spokesperson says Matthews was let go after the commission saw the report.

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