Michelle Hung tried to get her brother hired for county computer work; former administrator had concerns with her behavior in July

An apparently intoxicated Commissioner Michelle Hung texted former County Administrator Tom Williams multiple times at different hours earlier this summer, trying to get him to fix her relationship with the county's former 911 director. The behavior reached a point where Williams wrote the board's attorney on July 21, demanding that her attempts stop. In addition, Hung attempted to get her brother hired as a county IT employee in February. That could be viewed as nepotism — using one's power or position to give jobs to family members — which is specifically forbidden under Ohio ethics law. In another email to Williams sent just after 11 p.m. on Feb. 20, Hung wrote Williams that she was "Forwarding along possible help for (commissioners IT supervisor) Dave Welch" with a resume for Ed Dobias of North Olmsted attached. "I'm thinking a guy Welch can bring under his wings and be able to delegate duties, but also train to assist with IT issues for 911. Please get back to me on this when you have time," she wrote. Dobias is Hung's brother, she confirmed Wednesday. Hung also admitted she made the recommendation to Williams. "I'm not sure my brother was qualified, and I believe it was determined he wasn't," she said Wednesday. "Why would I be concerned about that (recommendation) when his wife also works for the county? The fact of the matter was he was not hired. Sometimes these things are considered a professional courtesy and are often done in many types of businesses, including county government." "The conversation about my brother was in the context of an LLC (limited liability corporation), the kind of contractor-type help Dave Welch could use," Hung said. Her brother "went to college for computer programming, but in the computer world it evolves rather quickly. A degree from 20, 25 years ago is very different now. He was not even remotely qualified to help Welch. It was more like a consulting-type capacity under my brother's LLC," she said. "It was a courtesy interview," Hung said. "I find it interesting it's being portrayed a different way. That might be expected by Mr. Williams in his current situation." Under Ohio law, "An official is prohibited from hiring a family member in any employment position, including a full-time, part-time, temporary or permanent position, a position in the classified or unclassified civil service, or a non-civil service position," according to laws against nepotism published on the Ohio Ethics Commission website. Ohio officials are prohibited from using the "authority or influence of" a public position to secure a job for a family member, according to the ethics commission. "Even if an official abstains from decisions, the law prohibits the official from discussing, recommending, or otherwise using the prestige of a public office, formally or informally, to get a family member a job," according to an ethics commission document titled "Restrictions on Nepotism or Hiring Family Members" that can be found on the ethics commission's website. State law "also prohibit officials from using a public position to secure a job for a family member" and prohibits "officials from using their influence with other public officers or employees, especially subordinates, to persuade them to hire a family member," the document states. A reporter offered to read the portion of Ohio ethics law relating to nepotism to Hung, and she declined the offer. Commissioners Matt Lundy and David Moore said Wednesday they weren't aware of Hung's relationship to Dobias when his resume was sent to Williams. Moore said Wednesday his understanding was that Hung "was pushing (Dobias) through hard" even though he was unqualified for the job. Williams email Williams outlined a number of concerns he had with Hung's behavior to the commissioners' legal counsel on July 21. In an email with the subject "Conditions of employment," Williams told Assistant Lorain County Prosecutor Dan Petticord that if he was to remain county administrator, "I have a few requests." "Commissioner Hung is not to call me when she is intoxicated," Williams wrote. He said his phone records would "show that she calls me, text(s) me late at night, early morning, weekends and holidays," he wrote about the first-term Republican commissioner and former North Ridgeville councilwoman. The second was Hung "is not to ask me to get involved in fixing her relationship with the 911 director," Harry Williamson, with whom Hung had an "inappropriate relationship" that was exposed by her fellow commissioners last month. Williams wrote that he received a phone call from Hung in June "regarding Harry being mean to her and she wanted me to drive from my home in Amherst to go to 911 and straighten him out. I will be on 911 video system seen talking to Hung and then spending a couple of hours with Harry." Thirdly, Hung "needs to be removed from the interview process in general," wrote Williams, who was hired Jan. 4 as county administrator and was himself an elected commissioner from 2010 to 2014 before losing an election to Lundy. Hung "puts pressure on the HR (Human Resources) department to push 'special' candidates through the process for 911," Williams wrote. "She also tried to hire her relative as the IT Director. She finally gave up after multiple people told her he didn't meet the minimum qualifications." Williams confirmed to The Chronicle that he sent the July 21 email. Hung and Lundy fired him on Aug. 18 over Moore's objections. Hung and Moore are Republicans, Lundy is a Democrat. Lundy said Williams' firing was necessary so the county could "move in a new direction" and to maintain "stability" that he wasn't confident the county administrator could provide. That same day, Hung told The Chronicle only that "it is best for the county to part ways at this time" and that she wished Williams well. Deputy County Administrator Rob Weber is serving as county administrator in the interim until commissioners hire Williams' replacement. Williams also has a severance package approved by Hung and Moore in a vote on Jan. 4, that requires he be paid at least $225,000 unless commissioners had fired him "for cause." Commissioners have yet to state a cause for which Williams was fired. Under the terms of his employment, his severance must be paid out within 30 days of his termination. That deadline is Saturday. Hung responds After a reporter read Williams' email to her on Wednesday, Hung said "there are a lot of pieces of that ... that aren't lining up in the timeline." Asked what timeline she was referring to, Hung replied: "Look, I understand former administrator Williams is at home now contemplating with his attorney on his settlement." "I'm at work every day working for the residents of Lorain County. Some of (the email) is nonsensical ramblings after the fact to our assistant prosecutor," she said. Screenshots of several of the texts Williams received that were obtained by The Chronicle appear to reference Hung's relationship with Williamson and her level of alcohol consumption: At 7:43 a.m. July 1, a Thursday morning, Hung texted Williams: "Did u talk to Harry? Just making sure he's alive. Haven't heard from him yet.""I'll call him this morning," Williams replied."Thanks," Hung replied.She then followed up, in an undated text with no time stamp: "I need u Tom. R u here?" In another text she sent on or about July 9, Hung informed Williams that The Chronicle was seeking information on a planned county health care audit.She had previously texted a Chronicle-Telegram reporter who reached out to her for comment to say she was "out of town on county business" and referred the reporter's questions about the audit to Williams."Here's what I sent," she texted Williams, with a screenshot of her statement."Easy call for you to handle," Williams replied. "Velocity is helping us perform an audit on our healthcare.""I'm drunk, babe," Hung texted Williams."I'm sorry. On sangria #3," she added soon after. Hung declined to comment on that text Wednesday, saying she needed to consult with her attorney. In a July 21 exchange with Williams, only 90 minutes after Williams emailed Petticord, Hung texted him at 10:20 p.m.:"2 texts..mean.....I'm staying strong and out with my boys," she wrote. In response to who "my boys" refers to, Hung told a reporter: "What I do on my personal time is really not up for discussion." She said Williams "had sent pictures out with him of his girlfriend. We all have friends. Sometimes we go out with our friends on our personal time. I hope (Williams is) enjoying his personal time now. ... Like I said before, we wish him well." Williamson, the former 911 director, was fired Aug. 3 by Lundy and Moore. Hung abstained from the vote, later claiming she "could not participate or have my hands in another bloodbath." That was a reference to Jan. 4, the day Moore and Hung took over county government and fired or demoted numerous department heads and when, Hung later said, Williams and Moore bragged about Jan. 4 being "Bloody Monday" in Lorain County government. Two days after Williamson was fired, Lundy and Moore revealed that Hung had admitted "a more significant and intimate relationship" with Williamson than just employer and employee. Such a relationship "involving a superior and subordinate requires immediate action," Lundy and Moore wrote in a joint statement to The Chronicle. The relationship was further confirmed after The Chronicle obtained video that showed Hung and Williamson kissing each other on the mouth inside a county building on Feb. 26. Both are married to other people. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com. Follow him @daveobrienCT on Twitter.