Scioto County is in full-blown crisis mode after bombshell corruption charges rocked the local government, leaving officials scrambling to do damage control. County Commissioners have called a hush-hush emergency meeting for 9 AM on Tuesday, February 18—behind closed doors, of course! No public, no live stream, just high-stakes whispers about what to do next.
The drama started on Friday when the Scioto County Prosecutor dropped a legal bombshell on Robert Horton—the county’s economic development director and head of the Southern Ohio Port Authority. In what can only be described as a Valentine’s Day massacre, Horton and his wife, Lioubov, were hit with a laundry list of jaw-dropping charges, including theft in office, aggravated theft, money laundering, bribery, and tampering with public records. Mrs. Horton wasn’t spared either—she’s facing 12 counts of her own, including telecommunications fraud and tampering with evidence.
Oh, and the timing? Suspiciously convenient. With a three-day holiday weekend thanks to Presidents’ Day, government offices are ghost towns, making it nearly impossible for reporters to get anyone on the record. Convenient, huh?
So what’s next? The commissioners’ Facebook page says the meeting is to discuss “the discipline and/or removal of a public employee.” And let’s be real— logic says who else could that be but Horton himself?
But here’s where things get truly bizarre: Commissioners Bryan Davis and Cathy Coleman put Horton BACK on the job after he was initially suspended following a state investigation! Their colleague, Commissioner Scottie Powell, called their decision “wild” and “bizarre,” and honestly, we’re with him.
Davis, for his part, brushed off the whole investigation as a “witch hunt” and even objected to the word “investigation” being used at all. Coleman, meanwhile, regretted suspending Horton in the first place and vowed to act only if an indictment happened. Well, Commissioner Coleman, here’s your indictment—what now?
And in a final juicy twist, the indictment hints that more heads could roll. Three alleged co-conspirators—mysteriously identified only as Jane Doe #1, John Doe #1, and John Doe #2—are lurking in the background. Are they county employees? Government officials? Secret accomplices? Prosecutors aren’t saying… yet.
Buckle up, Scioto County. This scandal is just getting started!
