Indiana Schools Superintendent Glenda Ritz's office approved a lucrative technology contract that state officials say should have been put out to public bid.
Documents provided to the Associated Press show state contract reviewers tried to stop it because they felt it should have been subject to competitive bidding.
But the deal moved forward anyway. And a key aide to the only Democrat elected to statewide office later took a job with a technology company that benefited from the deal.
Ritz spokesman Daniel Altman says the Department of Education followed the correct procedures and was not told there were objections to the deal.
He says Ritz's office would have worked out any issues had they been made aware.
Critics say it is another example of Indiana's lax ethics laws.