“The Commission determined that there was insufficient evidence to support a violation of any of the Ethics Laws or related statutes and instructed staff to close this matter,” Hood wrote.
The letter was sent to members of the media Wednesday, Jan. 15, by Boutros’s attorney. A spokesperson for the Ohio Ethics Commission confirmed the letter’s authenticity to Crain’s.
“The Ohio Ethics Committee closing letter is clear and unambiguous in its finding that Dr. Boutros did not violate any of the Ethics Laws or related statutes,” Boutros’s attorney, Jason Bristol, said in a statement.
In that same statement, Boutros said, "It is deeply regrettable that the Board's baseless accusations disrupted the stability and progress of an institution I dedicated years to elevate... While I am gratified that the Ohio Ethics Commission and the Auditor of State investigations have helped to reaffirm my integrity, the damage caused by these unfounded actions should serve as a cautionary tale for the need to ensure accountability and transparency in board governance.”
Not a Modern Healthcare subscriber? Sign up today.
Boutros filed a new lawsuit against MetroHealth in November 2024, accusing the health system of breach of contract, promissory estoppel and defamation. The move came one week after the Ohio Auditor of the State’s office released a report saying his actions involving the bonuses he paid himself were not criminal.
Boutros filed an amended complaint on Monday, Jan. 13, in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas.
MetroHealth, in a statement, said it only learned of the correspondence between Boutros and the Ohio Ethics Commission when he amended his complaint.
“MetroHealth does not know what evidence the Ohio Ethics Commission considered, what laws or violation(s) the Ohio Ethics Commission evaluated, or otherwise had any participation in whatever correspondence or discussions Dr. Boutros had with the Ohio Ethics Commission,” the statement says. “Our focus is on responding to Dr. Boutros’s claims made against MetroHealth through our filings in court, which we are doing.”
Boutros self-reported to the Ohio Ethics Commission on October 14, 2022, according to the letter, and was interviewed Nov. 1, 2022.
This story first appeared in Crain's Cleveland Business.