Ohio would pay fraud tipsters up to 10% of recovered public money

Ohio would create a way for residents and public employees to do more than report suspected fraud. Under the proposal, the auditor of state would have to run a system that can pay awards when a tip leads to a finding of probable fraud or theft involving public money.

The reporting system would cover misuse or misappropriation of public money by any public office or public official. Complaints could be filed anonymously or with a name attached, giving whistleblowers and everyday residents a quieter route to flag suspected wrongdoing.

A complaint trail that stays visible

The auditor would have to accept reports by toll-free telephone number, website and U.S. mail, then review them in a timely manner. The idea is simple enough: make it easier to speak up, and make it harder for complaints to disappear into a file drawer.

The office would also keep a public log of complaints. That record would show when a complaint arrived, give a general description, identify the office or agency involved and note the status of review.

Where the public record stops

The log would not expose everything. Information covered by another public-record exemption could be redacted, and a complaint tied to an ongoing criminal investigation would not be logged right away. It would appear later, no more than 30 days after that investigation ends.

That balance matters because the bill is trying to do two things at once: encourage people to report suspected theft or fraud, and keep active criminal matters from being aired too soon. For Ohioans who work inside public offices, it could turn a buried suspicion into a report with a paper trail and, in some cases, a payout.