ODNR employee used state time for second job: Report
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WKBN) – An attorney working for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources was found to be using his state laptop and state time to do work for a law firm — his second job.
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ODNR Deputy Legal Counsel Matthew Westerman's second job with the law firm MCS & Associates was approved by ODNR, but he was not permitted to use his position at ODNR to facilitate activities with the law firm, according to the Office of Inspector General.
An investigation began in June 2024 into Westerman's activities after a state agency became concerned that they were getting emails from Westerman from his state email account about MCS business.
The investigation found that Westerman made 148 phone calls related to MCS activities during times that he reported working for ODNR. He sent or received 70 emails related to MCS using his state email account and stored 29 files on his state laptop and servers, according to the Office of the Inspector General.
On November 19, 2024, ODNR instructed Westerman to immediately cease all secondary employment activity and he complied.
The report of the investigation dated Jan. 9, 2025, has been sent to the Columbus City Attorney's Office, the Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, the Ohio Office of Disciplinary Counsel, and the Ohio Auditor of State for consideration.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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