While Ohio’s politicians and business leaders plead for the return of millions in federal manufacturing grants frozen last December, newly released public records shine additional light on why the money may have been pulled in the first place.
Federal auditors questioned the Ohio Department of Development’s approval of spending $2 million in federal funds for its Manufacturing Extension Partnership, according to an agenda summarizing a meeting between state and federal officials in September. The program supports small and mid-sized Ohio manufacturers through affiliates across the state.
The costs in question included Ohio State University spending $48,240 to buy 11,000 T-shirts, and the Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network (MAGNET) in Cleveland spending $25,000 on a conference in 2021…