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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The Auditor of State’s Office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio, is responsible for auditing more than 5,900 state and local government agencies. Under the direction of Auditor Keith Faber, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies, and promotes transparency in government.

Public Affairs
Contact: Marc Kovac
press@ohioauditor.gov