On Thursday, August 8, 2024, The Columbus Dispatch reported that a former Franklin County Municipal Court judge is facing allegations of misusing funds from a judicial association.

Michael Brandt, who had served as a judge in Franklin County until retiring in 2018 at the age of 81, was the treasurer for the Association of Municipal and County Judges of Ohio from 2006 until 2022. In this role, he was responsible for collecting the $150 annual dues from around 250 sitting judges across the state. However, the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct has filed a complaint accusing Brandt of misappropriating more than $65,000 from the association’s bank accounts during his time as treasurer.

The complaint states that Brandt did not utilize any bookkeeping software or formal money tracking methods, relying instead on handwritten ledgers. An audit of the association’s finances uncovered that between 2014 and 2022, Brandt withdrew over $35,000 in cash from their accounts through ATM withdrawals, online transfers, and checks made out to himself. More than $16,800 of this money was then allegedly used by Brandt for home repairs on properties he owned in West Virginia and Grove City.

In November 2022, the association’s accountant informed Brandt that his withdrawals had created a deficit for the previous year’s taxes. When Brandt was confronted about an undocumented $2,000 check to himself, he resigned from his position as treasurer and reimbursed the association with $17,000. However, a full audit showed Brandt had misused over $65,000 total that eight-year time span. He paid an additional $25,000 back in October 2023 as part of settling the matter.

Brandt’s law license is currently registered as inactive with the Ohio Supreme Court. Even though retired, the Board of Professional Conduct could still recommend suspending or revoking his ability to practice law if their investigation finds the allegations against him regarding the misappropriated judicial association funds to be true. As of now, Brandt has not responded to the filed complaint.

 

 

Source: The Columbus Dispatch