The top two executives of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium have resigned after an investigation by The Dispatch into their personal use of zoo assets.
Because otherwise we might start to think it was simply an criminal racket operating between two of the worst suburbs of Columbus.įrom Jennifer Smola and Alissa Widman Neese of back in late March: It’s a good thing for the brand of the Zoo that the city has grown in that there will always be parents in the area with children that want to take their mind off the expenses of child-rearing by spending a day at the zoo. How lucky was I to be able to climb into my mom’s minivan and go see a gorilla that I was too young to recognize was high on Xanax? Our city leaders will gladly jerk off in public to those numbers to distract us from their ultimate mission of giving away our future to out-of-state real estate developers.īut one thing I do remember as a child in Marion, a mere 44 miles away from The Big Apple as the locals like to call it, is that the Columbus Zoo was the best zoo in America-nay, the world.Īs a fourth grader who wrote an entire one-page report on the Margay and thus loved every animal in the world, I could hardly believe it.
COLUMBUS ZOO INVESTIGATION CODE
Yost’s office also stated that investigations conducted by the Charitable Law Section are confidential, and Ohio Revised Code 109.28 excludes investigations of charitable trusts from public records.Columbus is one of roughly 14 cities that gained 100,000 residents in the last decade, which sounds cool until you take more than 30 seconds to think about the type of people that have been enticed to move to Columbus since 2001. The section ensures that charities responsibly use assets entrusted to them and takes enforcement action when charities exploit Ohioans’ generosity,” a release from Yost’s office stated. This mission is carried out by the office’s Charitable Law Section, which ensures trust in the nonprofit sector through transparency and accountability. “The Ohio Attorney General is charged with protecting and regulating the charitable sector, including investigating abuses of alleged charitable trust. The Columbus Zoo is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that also receives levy funds from Franklin County taxpayers. The commissioners have also requested an examination of the governance structure of the Zoo Board to determine if it continues to provide the highest level of oversight, transparency, and accountability to the public. The commissioners have asked for the Zoo Board to immediately enhance financial safeguards, including the strict segregation of all levy funds from other zoo funds going forward. In addition, the Board of Commissioners supports conducting a forensic audit of all zoo funds, including the more than $19 million in levy funds the zoo receives annually from Franklin County taxpayers. The Board of Commissioners is committed to pressing for transparency and looks forward to the release of the results of the Zoo Board’s thorough investigation. The Franklin County Commissioners continue to be concerned with the recent allegations involving the now-former executives of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. The Franklin County Board of Commissioners issued the following statement Thursday: Porter Wright reported their findings Monday. Stalf says he “became the youngest zoo director in the country when tapped to manage Niabi Zoo in 1995.” He left for Columbus in May 2010.Īfter a report of the possible improper use of Columbus Zoo resources, the zoo’s board of directors started an internal investigation and also hired a law firm, Porter Wright, to conduct an independent inquiry. “I’m troubled by both the allegations and the lack of transparency here, and this office will get to the bottom of it.” “Charity may begin at home for an individual, but it’s trouble when an executive for a charitable organization uses company resources for friends and family,” Yost said. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has announced Thursday his office will be conducting an investigation after recent allegations against two former Columbus Zoo and Aquarium executives.Īccording to a statement from the zoo, President and CEO Tom Stalf - the former director of Niabi Zoo in Coal Valley - and Executive Vice President and CFO Greg Bell have voluntarily resigned their positions.