Initiatives in Office Dave Yost

1 initiatives in office

1.1 statewide school attendance data audit
1.2 columbus city schools special audit
1.3 fighting fraud
1.4 campaign finance law
1.5 skinny government

initiatives in office
statewide school attendance data audit

after receiving several tips of suspected attendance data manipulation in school districts around state, auditor yost launched statewide audit of student attendance data on july 26, 2012. audit conducted in 3 phases , found 9 school districts across state “scrubbed” attendance data. auditor yost provided ohio general assembly recommendations improvements state’s accountability system.

columbus city schools special audit

while conducting statewide school attendance data audit, concerns raised potential grade changing @ columbus city school district, , due scope of fraud allegations, separate special audit launched. released in january 2014, audit revealed top-down culture of data manipulation , employee intimidation. referrals possible criminal charges , disciplinary action sent prosecutors , ohio department of education. mastermind steve tankovich became convicted criminal on july 30, 2014 , agreed part of plea deal cooperate further prosecutions.

fighting fraud

since taking office in 2011, auditor yost identified $17 million in stolen , misspent public money , worked law enforcement turn 80 corrupt public officials convicted criminals.

ohio stops fraud mobile app 
in 2014, auditor yost unveiled ohio stops fraud – android , iphone application report suspected fraud in public offices across state. ohio stops fraud allows user report suspected fraud anytime, anywhere.
carl shye 
during first weeks in office, auditor yost noticed pattern of problems in charter school audits around state involving then-treasurer carl shye. office performed 19 audits , identified $1,115,461 in stolen , misspent money shye. auditor of state’s partnership fbi , attorney led embezzlement charge against shye, , sentenced 2 years in prison on october 31, 2012 , ordered pay $472,580 in restitution.



campaign finance law

in 2012, auditor yost worked legislators strengthen ohio law institute penalty of misdemeanor of first degree public officials violate campaign finance law. passed broad, bi-partisan support, h.b. 326 drafted after audit of toledo area regional transit authority (tarta) found organization illegally loaned $66,885 pac tasked gathering resources fund tarta levy campaigns. while such actions illegal prior legislation, h.b. 326 allows prosecutors seek criminal sanction.

skinny government



performance audits 
auditor yost came office mission “skinny down” ohio’s governments schoolhouse statehouse. since 2011, auditor yost released 68 performance audits of state , local governments , provided more $150 million in potential savings. average return on investment $23 every dollar spent conduct audit.






in first legislative initiative, worked ohio general assembly expand use of , access performance audits. ohio revised code section 117.46 requires performance audits of @ least 4 state agencies each biennium. first 4 agencies receive performance audits ohio departments of job , family services, education, , transportation, ohio housing finance agency. these audits identified more $78 million in potential savings ohio’s taxpayers. recently, performance audit launched @ ohio department of natural resources.






local government efficiency 
to expand access of performance audits local communities, auditor yost worked legislators create leverage efficiency, accountability , performance fund. leap fund revolving loan fund advances costs of performance audit state agencies , local governments might not otherwise able afford have 1 conducted. loan repaid following year savings reaped audit’s recommendations , rolled new performance audits.






auditor yost created skinnyohio.org in 2011. online clearinghouse ohio’s local governments , school districts find best practices ohio , national performance audits. through site, governments of sizes , types can explore proven strategies, policies , procedures facilitate efficient , effective organization, operation , budgeting.






share ohio 
the auditor of state’s office conducted first-of-its-kind study in ohio lake county capital equipment utilization study. released in april 2012, study reviewed equipment @ 24 local governments in county. analysis revealed equipment used little 3 percent of time, or 1 day month. based on study results, auditor yost , staff worked local officials develop public works capital equipment sharing agreement serves ohio’s statewide model.






the lake county capital equipment utilization study prompted auditor yost develop shareohio.gov - website that, @ no cost local governments, helps communities share equipment.






^ ohio state auditor launch investigation school cheating, attendance record tampering . www.huffingtonpost.com. associated press . 27 july 2012. retrieved 14 august 2014. 
^ statewide school attendance audit . www.ohioauditor.gov. ohio auditor of state dave yost . retrieved 24 august 2014. 
^ 9 schools scrubbers in statewide attendance audit (press release). columbus, ohio: ohio auditor of state dave yost. 11 february 2013. retrieved 2 august 2014. 
^ ingles, joe (11 february 2013). auditor s report: 4 more districts scrubbed attendance data . ideastream. ohio: ohio public radio statehouse news bureau. retrieved 24 august 2014. 
^ auditor yost investigating possible fraud in columbus city schools (press release). columbus, ohio: ohio auditor of state dave yost. ohio auditor of state. 6 june 2011. retrieved 24 august 2014. 
^ smith richards , jennifer (15 september 2013). subpoenas show columbus city schools probe has grown . columbus dispatch. columbus, ohio: dispatch media group. retrieved 24 august 2014. 
^ wainfor, steve (27 january 2014). auditor release findings of ccs attendance investigation . nbc4. columbus, ohio: nbc4i.com. retrieved 17 august 2014. 
^ student altered attendance records review school year 2010-2011 special review (pdf) (technical report). columbus city schools office of internal audit (published 20 december 2012). 2012. retrieved 24 august 2014. 
^ smith richards , jennifer (14 november 2012). columbus officials face criminal referrals falsifying ohio student data . columbus dispatch. huffington post. retrieved 20 august 2014. 
^ smith richards , jennifer; bush, bill (1 august 2014). data czar pleads felony in columbus schools cheating . columbus dispatch. columbus, ohio: dispatch media group. retrieved 24 august 2014. 
^ cite error: named reference officialsite invoked never defined (see page).
^ fighting fraud . www.ohioauditor.gov. july 2014. retrieved 31 august 2014. 
^ gomez, henry (29 august 2014). how ohio auditor dave yost s down-ballot fundraising plea stacks up: truth in numbers . cleveland plain dealer. cleveland plain dealer. retrieved 31 august 2014. 
^ auditor dave yost : launch of iphone app fight fraud . www.ohiochannel.org. ohio channel . 8 january 2014. retrieved 31 august 2014. 
^ bartunek, carrie (5 june 2014). auditor of state dave yost releases android version of ohio stops fraud app (press release). columbus, ohio: ohio auditor of state. ohio auditor of state. retrieved 31 august 2014. 
^ ohio stops fraud iphone app . www.ohioauditor.gov. ohio auditor of state . retrieved 31 august 2014. 
^ ohio stops fraud . www.ohioauditor.gov. ohio auditor of state . retrieved 31 august 2014. 
^ hart, ted; willis, donna (17 may 2012). charter school treasurer accused of embezzlement . nbc4. columbus, ohio: nbc4. retrieved 31 august 2014. 
^ starzyk, edith (18 may 2012). ohio charter school treasurer, carl shye jr., charged embezzling federal funds . cleveland plain dealer. ohio: cleveland plain dealer. retrieved 31 august 2014. 
^ lindgren, todd (21 june 2012). former charter schools treasurer pleads guilty embezzling federal funds (press release). u.s. attorney s office southern district of ohio. federal bureau of investigation. retrieved 31 august 2014. 
^ press conference, general : announcing campaign finance legislation . www.ohiochannel.org. ohio channel . 20 september 2011. retrieved 31 august 2014. 
^ kovak, mark (8 december 2011). ohio house oks campaign-funding bill . youngstown vindicator. columbus, ohio: youngstown vindicator. retrieved 31 august 2014. 
^ davis, zach (6 may 2011). state auditor: tarta illegally lent public money pac . toledo free press. toledo, ohio: toledo free press. retrieved 31 august 2014. 
^ spark, david (21 september 2011). tarta sparks bill penalize political use of public funds . toledo blade. toledo, ohio: toledo blade. retrieved 31 august 2014. 
^ site . www.skinnyohio.org. ohio auditor of state . retrieved 31 august 2014. 
^ auditor of state initiatives (pdf). www.ohioauditor.gov. ohio auditor of state . retrieved 31 august 2014. 
^ schaffer, tim (1 february 2011). senator schaffer introduces legislation require performance audits of state agencies (press release). columbus, ohio: ohio channel. ohio senate. retrieved 31 august 2014. 
^ bartunek, carrie (5 april 2011). performance audit legislation signed governor (press release). ohio auditor of state. ohio auditor of state. retrieved 31 august 2014. 
^ performance audits . www.ohioauditor.gov. ohio auditor of state . retrieved 31 august 2014. 
^ performance audit legislation . www.ohioauditor.gov. ohio auditor of state . retrieved 31 august 2014. 
^ leap fund . www.ohioauditor.gov. ohio auditor of state . retrieved 31 august 2014. 
^ auditor dave yost : press conference unveiling skinnyohio.org . ohiochannel.org. 9 may 2011. retrieved 13 august 2014. 
^ lake county capital equipment utilization study (pdf). ohio performance team. ohio auditor of state. 10 april 2012. retrieved 13 august 2014. 
^ ohio auditor dave yost shares thoughts on equipment sharing in lake county . news herald. ohio: news herald. 31 may 2012. retrieved 31 august 2014. 
^ ewinger, jim (26 june 2014). ohio s auditor launches equipment-sharing pilot plan in lake county . cleveland plain dealer. mentor, ohio: cleveland plain dealer. retrieved 31 august 2014. 
^ shareohio.gov . ohio auditor of state. ohio auditor of state. retrieved 13 august 2014.