State Releases Doug Davis Audit

The Auditor of the State of Ohio Thursday released its report on former Muskingum County Engineer Doug Davis.

In March of 2018 the state auditor executed a search warrant at Davis’ office alleging improprieties involving the engineer’s office. The report says the state office “identified instances where Mr. Davis authorized county personnel, equipment and the use of materials for improvements made on his personal property”. The State Auditor also identified 229 employee hours, totaling just over $4,281 and 214 equipment hours, totaling just over $8553 in costs associated with improvements made on Mr. Davis’ personal property. The Auditor also identified just over $1,173 in additional materials used in the work completed on Mr. Davis’s personal property. The Auditor’s report says Davis authorized and approved the purchase of just over $4,458 in items that do not appear to be for county purposes. In total the State says it is issuing a finding for recovery of public money illegally expended against Doug Davis and his bonding company in the amount of $18,517 dollars. The Auditor’s office also made a finding for recovery for engineer’s office employee Rick Alexander in the amount of $459 for using his county issued credit card to purchase fencing staples that were not for county purposes. The state says the staple purchase was directed and approved by Davis.