OSFC official says it isn't his job to be neutral

COLUMBUS (AP) — An Ohio official who’s accused of favoring unions says his job description doesn’t prohibit him from being biased.

Richard Murray, director of the Ohio School Facilities Commission, says the state watchdog was wrong when he called for Murray to be neutral with unions.

The inspector general’s report says Murray backed a $37 million labor agreement that would pay a union to which Murray still belongs.

Murray says he never twisted school officials’ arms to get them to contract with union labor like the report claims.

The commission hands out more than $1 billion a year for school construction. It was created in 1997 to work with local districts on school renovation and construction projects.