Finding for Recovery of $13,116.56 Issued After Hamilton County Ag Society Failed to Maintain Documentation for Expenditures

COLUMBUS — A finding for recovery of $13,116.56 was issued Thursday against a former treasurer for the Hamilton County Agricultural Society, who authorized cash withdrawal transactions but did not maintain documentation to confirm the expenditures were proper.

The finding was among more than two dozen issues included in an audit and accompanying management letter covering the Ag Society’s finances from Dec. 1, 2021, through Nov. 30, 2023.

The full report is available online at ohioauditor.gov/auditsearch/search.aspx.

Auditors identified four financial transactions made in 2022 and 2023 for which no supporting documentation was maintained.

The full finding for recovery was issued against former Treasurer Tonya Eisner-Elliott, who authorized the cash withdrawal transactions that resulted in the improper payments.

A finding for recovery of $2,925 of the total was issued against Superintendent Benjamin Birt, who received reimbursements for expenses though no documentation was provided to ensure the expenditures served a lawful purpose.

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The Auditor of State’s Office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio, is responsible for auditing more than 5,900 state and local government agencies. Under the direction of Auditor Keith Faber, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies, and promotes transparency in government.

Public Affairs
Contact: Marc Kovac
press@ohioauditor.gov