Former Ohio transportation chief Gordon Proctor's chummy relationship with a subordinate is coming back to haunt him.

Proctor, who was director of the Ohio Department of Transportation from 1999 until Gov. Ted Strickland took office early last year, was the main target yesterday of a stinging report detailing his business relationship with the woman he picked to run the department's information-technology office.

Now, Proctor and his onetime protege, Shobna Varma, could face criminal charges stemming from alleged ethical missteps each took during and after their employment with the state.

Inspector General Thomas P. Charles said Proctor might have violated the state's revolving-door law by helping to contest Varma's firing before the State Personnel Board of Review. Varma also might face prosecution on allegations of collecting unemployment while holding a lucrative consulting job and of consulting for a company that has a large contract with ODOT, another revolving-door prohibition.

Proctor, 53, had carpooled with Varma, 48, before Proctor was promoted from chief of staff to director, according to Charles' investigation.

Although the investigation found evidence of favoritism, there was no suggestion of a romantic relationship between the two, said James V. Canepa, the deputy inspector general who oversees the state Transportation Department.

Proctor's friendship with Varma led to several ethical missteps, according to the inspector general's report. Bypassing normal personnel practices, Proctor elevated Varma to the chief information-technology position over more-qualified candidates and gave her a 39percent raise without normal background checks, the report said.

In 2006, Proctor tried to suppress the results of a $49,800 study of employee morale after learning that it contained criticisms of him and Varma, the report said.

After Strickland took office and Proctor left his job, the former transportation chief vigorously lobbied Strickland aides not to fire Varma, even appearing at a personnel-board hearing on her behalf, the report said. The board declined to take up her case.

Finally, Varma collected $355-a-week unemployment payments even though she was paid thousands of dollars a month on a consulting contract for a company that does business with ODOT, Charles' office alleged.

Proctor and Varma declined to comment. Their attorney, Christopher Jones, did not address the allegations in the inspector general's report but noted that both cooperated with the investigation.

“We'll continue to do whatever they'd like us to do,” Jones said.

Charles' office passed along the alleged criminal violations to the state Ethics Commission and the Columbus city prosecutor's office. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services will look into the allegations on unemployment payments.