Oakland County officials say IT contract to employee-owned firm violated county policy and state law; no county payments made

An independent investigation presented to an Oakland County Board committee found that a contract for IT staffing services was issued to a company owned by a current county employee and therefore violated county policy and state law. County staff told the committee the contract was suspended and later terminated before any county invoices were paid.

The committee heard that on the evening of July 3 the county received an anonymous email alleging a county contract had been awarded to a company owned by a current employee. County staff said the contract was suspended the first business day after the holiday, July 7, and then terminated after a rapid review. "The county was never invoiced. Nobody was paid under the contract at this point," a county staff member said during the meeting.

The county retained outside counsel and asked Miller Canfield to conduct a complete, independent investigation, officers said. The report concluded the company (identified in the report as Zeta Logic) was owned by a current county employee, which made the contract contrary to county policy. Because…