COLUMBUS, Ohio — In the days before he resigned immediately for medical reasons, Ohio Lottery Commissioner Pat McDonald denied allegations of unwanted behavior, including “text messages expressing inappropriate fondness and innuendo toward two employees” and “unwanted touching of two employees,” according to an administrative review of human resources issues at the commission obtained by News 5.

The commission also provided a series of text messages sent between McDonald and an unnamed lottery commission employee that took place between January and April of this year in which he frequently expressed a strong and unrequited affection for the employee.

McDonald frequently texted “I love you,” and other statements, such as “I still have a major crush on you,” and “You’re a gift from god to me,” in addition to other inappropriate texts and emojis sent at all hours of the day and night.

On Saturday, Jan. 21, McDonald texted: “People love you – do we want to expand on things? I’d be happy to keep you to myself,” followed by the eggplant and heart emojis.

In the texts provided, the employee does not reciprocate or address the affectionate comments.

Starting in March, the employee started to be more direct with McDonald. According to the texts, the employee was upset that their boss had photos of them on their phone.

“You cannot take pictures of me. Bottom line,” one of the employee’s texts reads.

McDonald responded - “I will never do that again but its not illegal.”

The employee later threatened to resign.

A report reviewing the human resources issues at the Ohio Lottery was commissioned by the state’s Department of Administrative Services and prepared by the Cleveland-based law firm Zashin and Rich.

The report, released Friday, states a lottery employee notified human resources of McDonald’s unwanted behavior on April 7. In addition to the texts, the report claims McDonald also engaged in "unwanted touching of two employees’ arms, shoulders, and forehead, an unwanted hug as well as verbal comments about the appearance of two employees."

McDonald attended an in-person meeting with Matthew Donahue, the governor’s Chief Counsel, and Stephanie McCloud, the governor’s Chief of Staff, on April 11, about the allegations, which he explicitly denied. In that meeting, he disclosed “a significant medical condition and that he was considering retirement,” the report states.

News 5 obtained video of McDonald apparently being escorted out of the lottery commission offices by McCloud and Donahue on that date.

RAW: Former Ohio Lottery Commissioner escorted from offices by governor's staff

McDonald submitted his resignation the following day, and, according to the report, his resignation negated further disciplinary action.

However, documents show that all of this behavior wasn’t going unnoticed - the assistant director knew. The state told us that the individual is being reassigned “to a non-supervisory position at a different agency in a lower classification and pay range.”

The administrative report also recommended mandatory training for all lottery employees regarding appropriate workplace conduct.

We reached out to McDonald for comment, but he did not respond.

The lottery commission refused an interview but did give a statement saying, “We want to assure our customers that the actions of the former director have no impact on the Lottery’s day to day operations or the integrity of our games.”

RELATED: Director of Ohio Lottery resigns suddenly; investigation into alleged 'HR irregularities' underway

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OLDHAM COUNTY, Ky. —

Instead of preparing for Christmas, a family is planning a funeral for a loved one lost during the deadly Kentucky tornadoes last weekend.

Jill Monroe, 52, had just moved to Mayfield, Kentucky, a few months ago and was working at the candle factory Friday night when the tornado moved through.

"She had sent me a text at 9:27 Friday night that she was taking shelter in the bathroom, and that the storms were bad, and for us to stay aware here," said Heather McFuggin, Monroe's sister.

Chris Chism, Monroe's son, said she texted this: "It's here. It's bad and I'm scared."

He said he spent the evening texting with her, but then suddenly she stopped responding.

The next few hours were spent waiting, watching and wondering what happened.

Chism and his family spent hours trying to get in touch with his mother. All they knew was that she was working at the Mayfield factory, which was in the direct path of the deadly tornado.

Here's how you can help the victims of the tornadoes

"I called 43 times. From the moment we found out until that next morning when her phone died," Chism said.

After unanswered calls and hours of waiting, Chism and his wife, Paige, hit the road Saturday morning. On the drive to Mayfield, they learned the candle factory had been leveled, but still no news about his mother.

"We got there and spent a couple hours at the candle factory. They wouldn't let us down close enough to really see anything, but we were there," he said.

He said he eventually got in touch with his mom's co-worker and friend, and learned his mother spent her final moments helping her coworkers to safety.

"She said, 'The last time I saw your mom, she ran into the last stall and took a bunch of people in there with her and we all laid down and tried to hold on,' and she said that's the last time I saw her," Chism said.

Sunday afternoon, Chism said the coroner's office confirmed his mother was one of the eight people who died in the candle factory.

"You know, you don't really ever think that anything bad is actually going to happen," he said. "It's tough. Very, very tough."

More than 100 people were working on holiday candle orders when the twister leveled the facility. The company later said many employees who survived left the site and went to homes with no phone service, adding to the confusion over who was missing.

Since then, all workers have been accounted for, according to state and local officials who have spoken to the company.

Mayfield, which is home to 10,000 residents and the candle factory, suffered some of the worst damage in the country. The tornadoes that killed at least 88 people — 74 of them in Kentucky — cut a path of devastation from Arkansas, where a nursing home was destroyed, to Illinois, where an Amazon distribution center was heavily damaged.

Monroe's family is working with the coroner to get the 52-year-old's body back to Oldham County, Kentucky. A GoFundMe has been set up to help with the funeral expenses. Click here for more information on how to help the family.