Report: State worker sold cosmetics on job

An Ohio Department of Education employee improperly ran her cosmetic sales business on state time, including pitching her products to her co-workers, according to the state watchdog’s office.

Stacy Ludwig, an education program specialist paid nearly $60,000 a year, claimed 44 hours of state pay while working on her side job and also using a state-issued laptop, said the investigative report from the office of Inspector General Randall J. Meyer.

Investigators found numerous photos and videos on Ludwig’s state laptop posted to her social media accounts promoting the sale of cosmetics. Records subpoenaed from Limelight by Alcone, a cosmetic company, uncovered nearly $7,000 in commission payments to Ludwig and showed she worked on orders during state time.

The report found that Ludwig sold cosmetics to co-workers during a makeover event in an education department lunchroom on Dec. 1, 2017 after it was publicized in an email announcement sent to department employees.

The report was referred to the Franklin County prosecutor’s office, the Columbus city attorney’s office and the Ohio Ethics Commission for potential action against Ludwig.