EAST PALESTINE — After finding previously unreported funds, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost today announced settlements with one of the phony charity’s founders and its fundraiser that will direct all of the money raised on behalf of Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley to the organization, as intended.

“I have said from the beginning that we will continue to fight for the people of East Palestine, which is exactly what we did here,” Yost said. “Our Charitable Law Section was able to recover and return every cent intended to aid the community.

Yost’s office began investigating the Ohio Clean Water Fund, founder Michael Peppel and the organization’s fundraiser after a complaint from Second Harvest officials, who said they had never given OCWF permission to raise money in the food bank’s name.