Pg. 467 Beard “As you’re looking through all these records, was there anything that kind of stood out to you that seemed odd or raised your suspicion at all?” Clifton “Just the amount of cash withdrawals and the amount of purchases that didn’t appear to actually further the charitable purpose of the organization.” Once again, nothing about theft.

Defense Attorney Smith “Okay. So I’m just going to ask you a couple of things. I believe it was the KeyBank spreadsheet. There were four initial transactions that said Raquel Serda?” Clifton “Uh-huh.” Smith “Did you investigate those transactions?” Clifton “I’m sorry?” Smith “Did you investigate those transactions?” Clifton “I did not.” Smith “Why not?” Clifton “That was not part of our focus.” Smith “What was your focus?” Clifton “Our focus was the complaints that had come in regarding the potential misappropriation by Mr. Craig.” Smith “So your investigation was not the PHCA in general?” Clifton “Could you rephrase that?” Smith “Was your investigation the PHCA in general?” Clifton “It could have been as well, yes. We were looking at the organization as well as who was in charge of the financials within that organization.” Smith “Well, Raquel Serda was a treasurer at one time.” Clifton “Uh-huh.” Smith “During the timeframe you reviewed records?” Clifton “Yes.” Smith “So why was she not interviewed, for example?” Clifton “I do not know.” Smith “You don’t know why you didn’t interview her?”

Clifton “I don’t interview per se. That would have been a decision by the attorney assigned to the case. I don’t make those decisions.” Smith “Okay, KeyBank. Let’s go to the summary. Thank you. For the record, I think we’re looking at PHCA account balances and transfers, Excel spreadsheets. If you can look at the top, I guess, five transactions that we referenced. You didn’t verify any of those?” Clifton “That is correct.” Smith “Could we see if one of them has a Q? Scroll. All right. So you chose not to verify those?” Clifton “I did not choose not to verify those. I was directed by the attorney assigned by the case.” Smith “to not verify those?” Clifton “Correct.”

So, Mike Dewine’s Attorney General’s office ordered a forensic accountant to NOT investigate withdrawn cash by a family member of the complainer. They order the same accountant not to verify transactions with the only person who can verify them in order to act as if the money is stolen. It’s a political case, just like Corey Pratt stated. Definitely.

Quick answers by Clifton. Smith “Okay. And to be clear on a couple of things, simply saying that something is not verified does that in any way make it an actual inappropriate transaction?” Clifton “No.” Smith “So your, I guess, for a lack of a better word, inability to verify something does not make transactions inappropriate?” Clifton “True.” Smith “So there might be — in all of these transactions that you reviewed, they may all be appropriate?” Clifton “It’s possible, yes.”

Still no accusation of theft. She seems to almost be defending Jason. Smith “So, for example, in column H there’s a healthy amount of these transactions where it says did not ask HJC about this transaction. I am assuming this is a direction from someone above?” Clifton “Correct.” The fix seems to be in all the way up to the current Governor’s office, only when he was the AG.

Smith “Okay. Did you review any personal accounts?” Clifton “I did of Ms. Koester, that was it.” Remember that AG investigator Corey Pratt testified that they do not get into personal bank records. Wow.