Ohio Democratic congressional candidate Danny O'Connor is claiming credit for creating a paid family leave program when he was the County Recorder, a program he did not start.
On Jan. 9, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners approved a paid family leave program after the county received a $126,000 analysis grant from the federal government. The program applied to all county employees, not just those in the recorder's office.
However, on O'Connor's campaign website it says he created the program for employees.
"And he worked to make the Recorder’s Office a place that supports working families, creating the department’s first paid family leave program for his employees," O'Connor's campaign website says.
The Franklin County Board of Commissioners said it created the program in a January press release.
"This morning, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a new Paid Family Leave program to allow employees time to provide parental care immediately following the birth or adoption of a minor child, and to care for a covered family member who has a serious medical condition," the press release said.
"The Franklin County Board of Commissioners strives to recruit and retain quality employees, and in doing so, offers a variety of paid leave options and a comprehensive benefits package in order to make Franklin County a preferred employer," the press release continued. "The commissioners recognize the importance of supporting employees as they balance career and family requirements, and implementing a Paid Family Leave program is the right course of action and another step toward providing outstanding service to every resident by maintaining a vibrant workforce."
Local media similarly reported the policy would impact all county employees.
"Starting January 15, employees who work for Franklin County will be eligible for paid family leave, under a new two-year pilot program," NBC affiliate WCMH reported. "County commissioners Kevin Boyce and John O'Grady approved the program at Tuesday morning's meeting."
"Commissioners said they will evaluate feedback from county employees to decide whether this should be permanent," WCMH reported.
O'Connor has also come under fire for claiming on his Recorder's biography webpage that he was vice president of the student body at Syracuse Law. However, he was actually vice president of the Student Bar Association at the law school.
"The more you look into Danny O’Connor’s record, the more obvious it becomes that he’s trying to deceive the 12th district," NRCC spokesman Chris Martin said. "I guess that’s all he can do without a real record to run on."
This isn't the first time O'Connor has been targeted will accusations of inflating his resume. The candidate has also been accused of overstating his role in the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office as an intern.
O'Connor is facing off against state Sen. Troy Balderson (R.) in a special election on Aug. 7 to replace Rep. Pat Tiberi (R.), who resigned in January.