Tag: Ohio State Representative Derek Merrin

State Lawmaker Proposes Bill to Reimburse Fines and Expunge Records for Ohio Businesses

Jack Windsor

  COLUMBUS, Ohio – State Representative Derek Merrin (R-Monclova) introduced a bill Wednesday that would both expunge the records of businesses cited for COVID violations and return fines and penalties paid. Upon its introduction, House Bill 127 was assigned to the House State and Local Government Committee on Thursday. HB127 does not contain an emergency provision, which means if it is passed in both the House and Senate and were approved by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine – or if it passes both chambers and is vetoed by DeWine but then overridden with supermajority votes in the General Assembly – the bill would go into effect 90 days later. The meat of the measure is twofold: expunges the records of all businesses whose files reflect violations of codes, orders or rules enacted by state agencies or local boards of health related to the State of Ohio COVID response; returns to businesses penalties and fines paid for violations. The expungements and refunds reach back to March 14, 2020 and will extend forward. “Our businesses have suffered enough.  Punitive fines accomplish nothing at this time. Orders are ambiguous and constantly changing – it’s unfair to hold businesses to these orders,” Merrin said during…

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State of Ohio May Have Paid Fake COVID Claims Well in Excess of $330 Million

Jack Windsor

Scammers took nearly all of the $330 million in reported improper payments the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services made with Pandemic Unemployment Assistance funds, Director Kimberly Henderson said earlier this month.  That amount was funneled, in part, through 56,000 fake claims which were identified in December.  There were also overpayments on legitimate claims.

But there may be more fraud – much more – that is not yet reported.

Whether the $330 million is from misappropriation that happened in December alone, or is a pile of results spanning several months, is unknown. Henderson said total losses will likely be pinpointed at the end of February.

“They should be able to pinpoint the amount weekly, or monthly,” said Ohio State Representative Derek Merrin (R-Monclova). He continued, “we need to get checks and balances in place to ensure money isn’t stolen in the first place.”

One Ohio State Senator told The Ohio Star the Director has signaled to him that the amount of money lost in ODJFS processing is likely in the ballpark of $1B. 

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