In The News 19 August 2025

Finding for recovery of $956.67 repaid by former Elyria mayor following special audit into city resources used for campaign

COLUMBUS — A finding for recovery of $956.67 was issued Tuesday against the former mayor of Elyria over public resources used for his personal reelection campaign.

Frank Whitfield repaid the total under the special audit, following an investigation by the Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU).

The full report is available online at ohioauditor.gov/auditsearch/search.aspx.

SIU launched its investigation in April 2023 after receiving information from the Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office that Whitfield had hired a vendor, Correa Media Productions, to provide campaign advertising services.

Between July 1, 2022, and Dec. 31, 2023, the city contracted Correa to create videos and other social media promotional materials. Of the total work completed by the vendor during that period, SIU determined that $956.67 was related to content used only on Whitfield’s campaign Facebook page.

SIU provided its findings to the county prosecutor’s office, which declined to pursue criminal charges. Whitfield repaid the full amount in July 2025.

Since 2019, the Special Investigations Unit has assisted in 143 convictions resulting in more than $13 million in restitution (see Map of SIU Convictions since January 2019). The team receives hundreds of tips of suspected fraud annually. Tips can be submitted anonymously online or via SIU’s fraud hotline at 866-FRAUD-OH (866-372-8364).

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