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GOP Chair Accuses Former Treasurer of Lying About Aide

The Ohio Republican Party continues to put pressure on a former treasurer as his deputy stands trial on corruption charges. The party's chair says Kevin Boyce is lying about his knowledge of a federal investigation. Ohio Public Radio's Andy Chow reports.

Last week when former Treasurer Kevin Boyce was asked to respond to the indictment of his former deputy on corruption charges Boyce said quote… I remain shocked and forever stunned on the recently released details on the indictment end quote.

Now… according to a memo released by the current Treasurer’s Office… it turns out Boyce knew about some sort of a federal investigation since November of 2010.

Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matt Borges says this memo shows that Boyce lied to the public when he released his statement in response to Amer Ahmad’s indictment.

Borges: “I think for the last three years he’s been silent—he’s been lying by omission on this particular issue and then last week when asked to give a comment on it—it was a lie of commission and now he’s just being dishonest.”

Boyce’s former deputy is accused of devising a kickback scheme and is charged with money laundering… bribery and conspiracy. If found guilty he could face up to 60 years in prison.

The memo was sent in January of 2011 during the transition when Josh Mandel took over as treasurer after defeating Boyce. Boyce’s general counsel was informing Mandel’s legal chief about a federal investigation into the office’s decision to award global assets to State Street Bank… a Boston company already under investigation for fraud.

The memo only mentions Ahmad once when it says that the investigation is requesting records from cell phones issued by the treasurer’s office. The memo adds that Ahmad never had a state-issued cell phone.

Part of the memo was blacked out to keep some information confidential but it appears that it only relates to the State Street Bank investigation. The Republican chairman says this investigation ultimately lead to Ahmad’s indictment.

Borges now says that Boyce, a Democrat who represents the Columbus-area in the Ohio House of Representatives, must be forthcoming and offer more information on what he knew about the investigation.

In response to Borges, Boyce released a statement Monday saying that this is an issue that could not be resolved in the normal political exchange of he said she said politics. He adds that the criminal justice process will answer all questions and that he remains shocked by the indictments of Ahmad.

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