With a week to go before the special primary election for Ohio’s 11th Congressional District, Democratic candidate Shontel Brown may be in hot water.

In April, the Intercept reported that Brown, a Cuyahoga County councilmember, had voted to award millions worth of contracts to companies connected to her romantic partner and campaign donors. Emails we read show that the Ohio state auditor’s office reviewed the allegations in the article and recently referred the matter to the state ethics commission.

Under Ohio law, public officials are prohibited from knowingly authorizing or using their authority or influence “to secure authorization of any public contract in which the public official, a member of the public official’s family, or any of the public official’s business associates has an interest.” Violation of the statute is a felony, and penalties can include prison time.