Vincent Scavo, the former school board chairman at St. Anthony School of Des Moines, formed the corporation in 2011, just three weeks before it applied for its first county grant. Its address was Scavo's home.

The corporation ceased operations shortly after it spent the last of the county money. During the two years it existed, the nonprofit publicly reported no income other than what it received from Polk County, according to records reviewed by the Register.

Mauro is a Democrat. Or, was a Democrat. Thank Dog that Matt McCoy beat him in the primary.

John Mauro, the county supervisor who brought both grant requests to the board and recommended their approval, told the Register he can’t recall why he did so or why the money was routed through Scavo's company.

Mauro was defeated in the June 5 primary.

"I have nothing to say to you other than, 'I can’t remember,'" Mauro said. “But if you’re asking me if I support the Catholic schools, you bet, I’m a Catholic … Do you hear me apologizing for giving the money out? I voted for it. I’m on record. So, I ain’t apologizing for it.”

Asked last month about the county policy that prohibits grants for entities under ecclesiastical or sectarian management, Mauro replied, “I can’t answer any questions about that because I haven’t looked at it in a long time.”