COLUMBUS – Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman is under federal investigation for the sale of his former home for an above-market price, and agents have interviewed a city employee who says city staff were directed to help the home’s buyer set up a business here.
READ MORE: In the Columbus Dispatch
Coleman’s spokeswoman said his office has no comment at this time.
According to a report in Friday’s Columbus Dispatch, federal investigators issued subpoenas and asked city staff for records related to the $520,000 purchase of Coleman’s former house at 1362 E. Haddon Rd. in late 2010, according to several sources, including one of the city staff members. Franklin County auditor records show that the house was purchased for nearly double the county’s estimated value and far more than any other home on the street.
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Coleman has not been charged with a crime, authorities said. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has questioned several city employees who have been asked to turn over records.
The woman who purchased Coleman’s home was a Chinese national named Jianhua Li, who works for a Chinese-based company that makes a medical cream for sale in China. Li wanted to use Rickenbacker International Airport as a tax-free distribution hub for a medical cream, but several sources said she could not get approval for its use in the United States.
Coleman’s office, using city staff, tried to help Li get a Visa through Columbus’ sister-city relationship with Hefei, China, said Bob Hsieh, 72, who works in the city’s development department. But that request was unsuccessful, he said.
Hsieh said he filled out the paperwork for Li’s visa, which was denied. Hsieh said lawn care for the home on Haddon Road was set up through a law firm that the city helped Li find. The lawn work continued after Li purchased the home.