Township fiscal officer faces state investigation over alleged misuse of funds
Township officials allege that Fiscal Officer Bob Matthews improperly withdrew township funds and attempted to send money to coin dealers. When the transaction was flagged as unauthorized, Matthews allegedly tried to fire the finance director who blocked it.
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."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Breadkrumb Launches as the First AI-Powered Travel App to Curate Trips from Trusted Friends' Travel Experiences
Atlanta, Georgia, Aug. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to an Accenture study, 64% of travelers feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of options when planning. Breadkrumb, the first AI-powered mobile app built around a traveler's trusted inner circle, aims to cut through that noise by transforming personal recommendations into curated, confidence-driven itineraries. The app is also built with privacy at the forefront, giving users control over whether to keep their memories private or share them with their network. The process of organizing trips is often time-consuming, with travelers sifting through endless generic lists, influencer posts, and crowd-sourced reviews that may not reflect their personal preferences. Breadkrumb addresses this challenge by learning from the places, itineraries, and photos shared by people in a user's close network, creating custom travel suggestions that are both relevant and reliable. 'Travel should feel inspired and personal, not overwhelming,' said Sho Soboyejo, Founder & CEO of Breadkrumb. 'We designed the app to bridge the gap between technology and trust. By blending AI with recommendations from the people you know, Breadkrumb helps you discover places that genuinely align with your style, interests, and travel goals.' Turning Social Connections into Itineraries Breadkrumb enables users to plan trips visually with interactive maps and timelines and 'drop krumbs,' which are digital pins, notes, and photos, to mark favorite spots. They can also use the app to build custom itineraries with AI assistance. The platform learns from a user's connected network, offering recommendations that go beyond popular tourist lists to highlight hidden gems and unique experiences. Currently in active development, the app's AI engine is designed to evolve in how it processes shared travel data, including saved locations and itineraries from friends and family, to deliver increasingly personalized suggestions for destinations, activities, and dining. Solving a Common Travel Planning Problem The travel planning process can be fragmented and require travelers to use multiple tools to research, map, and organize itineraries. Generic online lists may overlook niche experiences, while online reviews can be inconsistent and lack necessary context. Breadkrumb consolidates the entire experience into a single application while ensuring the recommendations are grounded in first-hand experiences. By centering the platform around a user's own trusted community, the app aims to: Save time by filtering out irrelevant options Increase confidence in travel choices through social proof from people the user knows Make trip planning more collaborative and engaging A Community-Driven Travel Platform Breadkrumb's approach shifts the focus of travel from mass-market advice to personalized, trust-based recommendations. Each trip shared within the platform contributes to a growing network of location-specific knowledge, allowing users to explore with a stronger sense of connection and authenticity. The app is a way to extend the value of shared travel experiences beyond the moment of the trip itself. Whether it's a friend's favorite café hidden in a charming coastal town or a family member's recommended hiking trail, each 'krumb' adds to a collective memory bank that can be used for future adventures. 'Our goal is to make every shared trip an opportunity for someone else to travel better,' added Soboyejo. 'Breadkrumb turns shared experiences into practical, trusted recommendations that make travel planning simpler and more personal.' Breadkrumb is now available for download on both the App Store and Google Play. The app is free to use with additional features planned for future updates as the platform grows its community and expands its AI capabilities. Download the app at About Breadkrumb Breadkrumb is an AI-powered travel planning platform built around the experiences of a user's personal connections. By combining the personalization of AI with real trips shared by friends and family, Breadkrumb transforms how travelers discover, plan, and share their journeys. The company's mission is to make travel planning more relevant, social, and inspiring by turning personal memories into a collective source of recommendations. Media Contact Company Name: BreadkrumbContact Person: Sho Soboyejo, Founder & CEOContact Number: +1 (770) 742-9474Email: social@ United StatesWebsite: Media Contact Company Name: Breadkrumb Contact Person: Sho Soboyejo, Founder & CEO Contact Number: +1 (770) 742-9474 Email: social@ Country: United States Website: Socials: beim Abrufen der Daten Melden Sie sich an, um Ihr Portfolio aufzurufen. Fehler beim Abrufen der Daten Fehler beim Abrufen der Daten Fehler beim Abrufen der Daten Fehler beim Abrufen der Daten
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Texas House passes Trump-backed map that could give Republicans five more seats in midterms
The Texas House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a new Trump-backed congressional map plan that would net the Republican party as many as five additional seats in next year's midterms, potentially solidifying GOP control of the U.S. Congress. The 88-to-52 vote occurred along party lines. It came after Democratic lawmakers in Texas temporarily fled to deny the statehouse quorum to move forward with the redistricting effort. The state Senate passed a similar map on Sunday, and the new map is expected to head to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk later this week. In July, President Trump said he was pushing the Texas GOP to redraw state congressional maps to pick up more Republican seats, with the president later claiming the GOP was 'entitled' to more seats in the state after his successful 2024 campaign there. 'Texas will be the biggest one,' Trump said at the time. 'And that'll be five.' In a late-night Truth Social post on Wednesday, President Trump lauded the efforts in Texas, saying, 'Big WIN for the Great State of Texas!!! Everything Passed, on our way to FIVE more Congressional seats and saving your Rights, your Freedoms, and your Country, itself. Texas never lets us down. Florida, Indiana, and others are looking to do the same thing. 'More seats equals less Crime, a great Economy, and a STRONG SECOND AMENDMENT. It means Happiness and Peace. But Republicans, there is one thing even better - STOP MAIL-IN VOTING, a total fraud that has no bounds. Also, go to PAPER BALLOTS before it is too late - At one tenth the cost, faster, and more reliable. If we do these TWO things, we will pick up 100 more seats, and the CROOKED game of politics is over. God Bless America!!!' The redistricting battle in the Lone Star State produced a number of unusual scenes, with more than 50 Democrats temporarily fleeing the state, then facing arrest warrants upon their return. As Democrats began to trickle back into the state in recent days, Rep. Nicole Collier of Fort Worth remained on the House floor for days rather than sign a permission slip allowing members to leave only if they agreed to be shadowed by state law enforcement. Protesters chanted outside the House chambers during Wednesday's vote, where doors were locked to further prevent representatives from leaving the floor until the map plan got a vote. During the debate, Texas Republicans openly described the maps as a way to increase GOP fortunes, but denied accusations that the plan was racist and aimed at disenfranchising minority voters. "The underlying goal of this plan is straightforward: improve Republican political performance," State Representative Todd Hunter, who authored the bill creating the new map, said on Wednesday. Redrawing congressional district lines typically only takes place at the beginning of the decade, after the U.S. Census. Republicans in Texas believe that five districts currently held by Democrats can be redrawn to make the districts more favorable to conservative candidates. Democrats argue that the new proposed maps are racist and unlawfully divide Black and Latino communities to dilute minority representation. The GOP on Wednesday said the claim was unfair, noting that President Trump won a majority of Texas Latinos in the 2024 election. Across the country, Democrats have threatened to respond to Texas's efforts with reciprocal redistricting in California and other blue states. Former President Barack Obama said he supports California Democrats' efforts to redraw congressional districts aiming to offset the move passed by Texas Republicans. 'I wanted just a fair fight between Republicans and Democrats based on who's got better ideas, and take it to the voters and see what happens,' Obama said on Tuesday in a rare political intervention and his first public comments expressing support for the push by California Governor Gavin Newsom. 'But I want to be very clear: Given that Texas is taking direction from a partisan White House that is effectively saying, 'Gerrymander for partisan purposes so we can maintain the House despite our unpopular policies, redistrict right in the middle of a decade between censuses' — which is not how the system was designed — I have tremendous respect for how Governor Newsom has approached this.' Newsom is backing a plan in California to redraw congressional maps via ballot measure in November; his party plans to shift five Republican-held districts to put more Democratic voters in them. 'We're not going to act as if anything is normal any longer. Yes, we'll fight fire with fire. Yes, we will push back. It's not about whether we play hardball anymore,' Newsom said at a virtual news conference with other Democratic leaders on Wednesday. 'It's about how we play hardball. And California has your back.' In the U.S. House of Representatives, Republicans hold a single-digit majority and are facing an unfavorable midterm dynamic next year.
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Obama makes rare political intervention to weigh in on Texas redistricting and back Newsom
Former President Barack Obama said he supports California Democrats' efforts to redraw congressional districts aiming to offset a similar move passed Wednesday by Texas Republicans. 'I wanted just a fair fight between Republicans and Democrats based on who's got better ideas, and take it to the voters and see what happens,' Obama said on Tuesday in a rare political intervention and his first public comments expressing support for the push by California Governor Gavin Newsom. 'But I want to be very clear: Given that Texas is taking direction from a partisan White House that is effectively saying, 'Gerrymander for partisan purposes so we can maintain the House despite our unpopular policies, redistrict right in the middle of a decade between censuses' — which is not how the system was designed — I have tremendous respect for how Governor Newsom has approached this.' The Texas House of Representatives passed a new Trump-backed congressional map plan that would net the Republican party as many as five additional seats in next year's midterms, potentially solidifying GOP control of Congress. The 88-to-52 vote occurred along party lines. It came after Democratic lawmakers in Texas temporarily fled to deny the statehouse a quorum, thereby temporarily halting the redistricting effort. Obama was one of several prominent Democrats who called those lawmakers to commend them for their efforts to protect democracy. Democratic state Rep. Nicole Collier spent Monday night locked in the Texas House of Representatives in Austin after refusing to sign a pledge to return for a vote on Republican redistricting proposals. Despite their efforts, the GOP proposal passed. The Texas state Senate passed a similar map on Sunday, and the new map is expected to head to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk later this week. In July, President Trump said that he was urging the Texas GOP to redraw state congressional maps to gain more Republican seats, with the president later claiming the GOP was 'entitled' to more seats in the state following his successful 2024 campaign there. In the U.S. House of Representatives, Republicans hold a single-digit majority and are facing an unfavorable electoral dynamic ahead of the 2026 midterms in November next year. To head off GOP efforts to preserve their majority by creating new districts, Democrats have been spurred into action. After the new map was passed in the Lone Star State, Governor Newsom of California posted on X about his counterpart: 'Congratulations to @GregAbbott_TX -- you will now go down in history as one of Donald Trump's most loyal lapdogs.' He added: 'Shredding our nation's founding principles. What a legacy.' Newsom is backing a plan in California to redraw congressional maps via a ballot measure in November; his party plans to shift five Republican-held districts to increase the number of Democratic voters in them in a direct response to Texas. The governor has said California's new maps will be temporary, an approach Obama described as a 'smart, measured approach, designed to address a very particular problem in a very particular moment in time.' Obama noted that, as the process must be voted on, Californians would have their say at the ballot box, unlike in Texas. 'The fact that California voters will have a chance to weigh in on this makes this act consistent with our democratic ideals, rather than in opposition to our democratic ideals,' Obama said. 'We're not going to act as if anything is normal any longer. Yes, we'll fight fire with fire. Yes, we will push back. It's not about whether we play hardball anymore,' Newsom said at a virtual news conference with other Democratic leaders on Wednesday. 'It's about how we play hardball. And California has your back.' In a later post on X, he wrote: 'It's on, Texas.' California's Supreme Court has already denied a Republican request to intervene on the Democratic Redistricting legislation. A one-page ruling reads: 'The petition for writ of mandate and application for stay are denied. Petitioners have failed to meet their burden of establishing a basis for relief at this time under California Constitution article IV, section 8.' Newsom's press office, which has been on a tear over the past week mimicking Trump, asked on X: 'What do you call a 'lawsuit' that gets tossed in less than 48 hours?' and said they would retweet the best responses. The California legislature is expected to vote on the motion to put new maps on the ballot by the end of this week. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has also indicated a readiness to engage in aggressive redistricting tactics, stating that Democrats in the state are prepared to fight fire with fire against Republican efforts. Her stance mirrors that of Newsom and mid-decade redistricting is also on the table. Despite existing state laws designed to ensure independent commissions and curb gerrymandering Hochul has expressed openness to such measures. Earlier this month, when questioned on whether New York's Independent Redistricting Commission – established to keep the process separate from the Legislature – should be disbanded or altered to expedite redistricting, Hochul unequivocally replied: 'Yes.' 'I'm tired of fighting this fight with my hand tied behind my back,' the governor continued. 'To think we're going to do this with a purity test … the reason we're able to draw the lines is we're Democrats and the majority of the people in this state elected us to be leaders. 'Republicans take over the Legislature? They can have at it. But until then, we're in charge and we're sick and tired of being pushed around.' On Wednesday, after the news of that Texas redistricting had passed, Hochul posted on X: 'Game on.'
