Review turns up more questionable expenses

Several suspect buys were made just before Christmas.
& lt;a href=mailto:leigh@vindy.com & gt;By NORMAN LEIGH & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- Columbiana County health Commissioner Robert Morehead's questionable use of a county-issued credit card continued late in 2003 and into 2004, a review of more recent records shows.
Morehead's expense vouchers, filed through mid-April this year at the county auditor's office, show that in December he used the county card to buy $186 in books at Barnes & amp; Noble Booksellers.
The buys are similar to those made earlier in 2003, which were detailed last week in a Vindicator series that sparked a criminal probe and a state audit to determine if Morehead improperly used the government credit card for books, gifts, golf accessories and other personal items.
Morehead has denied wrongdoing and has said he reimbursed for at least some of the buys, but offered little proof.
He has not returned Vindicator phone calls since initially being questioned about his spending several weeks ago.
The $186 in December buys are in addition to the $680 he charged at Barnes & amp; Noble earlier in 2003, as already detailed by The Vindicator last week. Those purchases are being scrutinized in the probe.
Personal tastes
As with the previous Barnes & amp; Noble buys, Morehead's December purchases reflect personal tastes, like his interest in political commentary and the Ohio State Buckeyes, rather than government need.
On Dec. 9, Morehead visited the Barnes & amp; Noble Columbus store and charged $92.90.
His buys included "Paul Keel's Tales from the Buckeye Sidelines" for $17.95; and "Arrogance: Rescuing America from the Media Elite" for $24.25.
Two days before Christmas, Morehead visited Barnes & amp; Noble's Boardman store and again used the county plastic to make a $93.12 purchase, including "Shut Up and Sing: How Elites from Hollywood, Politics and the U.N. are Subverting America" for $25.15 and "Oz Clarke's Pocket Wine Guide 2004" for $12.60.
Three days before Christmas, the county card was used to buy unspecified gift items worth about $18 at the Kent State University bookstore in Kent.
Travel voucher
Morehead's $578.50 travel voucher, submitted in February, includes claims for a $27.91 nonitemized buy at Walden Books made Jan. 18.
A voucher created in mid-April for Morehead's March travel was revised after he was questioned April 6 by The Vindicator about his spending.
Initially, the voucher paid for $264.18 in charges on Morehead's county credit card. The Visa statement detailed a $123.33 charge made March 24 at the Kent State bookstore. About $20 of that amount was for a clothing buy.
Attached to the $264.18 expense voucher is a $109.54 personal check from Morehead to the bank that issued the credit card.
The check is dated April 22 and is marked "expenses."
A bookkeeper in the county auditor's office said the check apparently applies to some of the charges on the Visa bill, but it's unclear which ones.
The voucher was subsequently revised to reflect the $109.54 reimbursement.
Meals
Besides book buys, Morehead's expenses late in 2003 and this year show his continuing practice of charging the public for meals at area restaurants, including Pondi's, a Lisbon bar and restaurant owned by health board member Matt Borza.
Borza and other health board members have said Morehead is allowed to eat locally on the public tab, as long as the meals are related to his job as health commissioner.
Through much of 2003, he charged about $800 in meals at Pondi's, including tips.
From December through April 1, Morehead charged about $342 at Pondi's for 14 meals.
An additional $100 in meals at other local restaurants were declared on the county Visa statement during that same period.
Morehead charged for two meals the same day on Jan. 23 and Jan. 29.