ELYRIA, Ohio — Lorain Commissioner Michelle Hung is calling for a special prosecutor to look into whether some $15,000 in federal funds were ethically and properly issued for rent payments on properties once owned by fellow Commissioner David Moore.
Hung pointed to a series of checks paid to AJS Wealth Management LLC, a company connected to rental properties once owned by Moore, which went to Moore's company as federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program, or ERA payments, for tenants living in rental properties Moore owned during the pandemic in 2021.
Hung said Moore also voted "yes" as a commissioner in sending the federal dollars to Lorain County Job & Family Services, which administered the federal dollars to his LLC for his tenants. Hung believes the federal dollars paid to Moore's LLC is a violation of Ohio Ethics Commission guidelines.
"The ethics commission guidelines state public officials cannot profit from federally funded contracts, or cannot participate when family members or business associates might benefit from those contracts," Hung said. “Ohio revised code prohibits the board member during public service and one year after from profiting on the grant money.”
Hung told News 5 she's been interviewed by the Ohio Ethics Commission, the Lorain County Sheriff's Department, and the Ohio State Auditor's Office as they check into whether the federal funds were issued appropriately.
“To think that it was profited in a fraudulent and misleading way, it’s something that needs to be looked at and needs to be something that is investigated," Hung said. “We desperately need a special prosecutor, I don’t understand why there is a delay. I think to the average taxpayer, when they see a politician dipping their hand into the cookie jar they don’t like that.”
Moore was quick to defend the distribution of federal rental assistance funds and told News 5 his vote on the ERA money was simply to send it to Lorain County Job & Family Services and not to send the funds to his LLC. Moore said he was careful to check with the Lorain County Prosecutor to make sure federal funding to help his tenants was not an ethics violation and only benefited his tenants.
Moore believes Hung's calling for an Ohio Ethics Commission probe is unfounded and is simply politically motivated.
“I made sure that I had the permission from the county prosecutor because I said I don’t want to cross any lines here, because it was really the tenants who were benefiting from this program," Moore said. “This is so full of propaganda and half truths, it’s pretty much a false narrative created by the other commissioner, and retaliation to her own ethical issues she’s been dealing with the past three years."
Hung was completely cleared of any issues last October by Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber concerning the circumstances and there was no evidence to support Moore's claims.
Moore told News 5 he welcomes the ethics commission investigation and the call for a special prosecutor in this case, even though he believes it's not necessary.
“It’s just ugly politics and that’s fine, it’s just part of the game when you get into politics, unfortunately it scares a lot of people away from running for public office," Moore said. “I didn’t do anything wrong, I don’t know that you need a special prosecutor, the ethics commission has had it for two years and hasn’t done anything.”
Moore said he's hoping Lorain County taxpayers will instead concentrate on all the Lorain County development being led by the Commissioners and Lorain County leaders.
“We have accelerated the economic development of our county ten times, the mall, a lot of things coming out at the airport, we’re talking to chip companies about coming out here," Moore said. “We are on the road map for the Governor’s office because they want us to be the next silicone valley.”
Still, Lorain County Auditor Craig Snodgrass agrees the case needs further scrutiny and told News 5 he'll again ask the Lorain County Prosecutor to appoint a special prosecutor sometime next week.
“I think there’s enough concern to call in an independent party," Snodgrass said. “Just saying here is an independent voice assuring to the public that everything is done correctly in Lorain County, I don’t think that’s too much to ask.”
News 5 will follow through on this developing story.
