GotZoom
Senior Member
WASHINGTON -- An L.L. Bean briefcase and raincoat. Professional dues and charitable contributions. A trip to Germany. Video equipment. A 2002 Ford Crown Victoria.
According to two federal audits, those are just some of the items that Louisiana state emergency officials improperly bought with some of the $228 million in U.S. disaster funds they received in recent years.
The audits also found that the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness ignored federal rules for overseeing contractors, doling out more than $15 million in aid without keeping any records to show what 97 percent of the money was spent on, according to a report by the inspector general's office of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
"Significant internal controls weaknesses and noncompliance situations were identified during the audit," said the Nov. 4 review of Louisiana's disaster assistance spending from 1998 to 2003.
Those dry words ring loud now to watchdog groups concerned that the state's share of the billions in federal taxpayers cash funneling into Louisiana since Hurricane Katrina will similarly disappear.
Officials at the state agency could not be reached for comment. But Louisiana state treasurer John Kennedy said he wants to establish a review process to make sure the money will be used properly before it is handed out.
Wary of a boondoggle in the making, the Homeland Security inspector general's office said Tuesday it is dispatching 30 investigators and auditors to Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama to oversee the payments to state and local agencies, private contractors and, to a lesser extent, individuals.
From the Memphis Commercial Appeal - Subscription required.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/nation_and_world/article/0,1426,MCA_454_4078909,00.html
According to two federal audits, those are just some of the items that Louisiana state emergency officials improperly bought with some of the $228 million in U.S. disaster funds they received in recent years.
The audits also found that the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness ignored federal rules for overseeing contractors, doling out more than $15 million in aid without keeping any records to show what 97 percent of the money was spent on, according to a report by the inspector general's office of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
"Significant internal controls weaknesses and noncompliance situations were identified during the audit," said the Nov. 4 review of Louisiana's disaster assistance spending from 1998 to 2003.
Those dry words ring loud now to watchdog groups concerned that the state's share of the billions in federal taxpayers cash funneling into Louisiana since Hurricane Katrina will similarly disappear.
Officials at the state agency could not be reached for comment. But Louisiana state treasurer John Kennedy said he wants to establish a review process to make sure the money will be used properly before it is handed out.
Wary of a boondoggle in the making, the Homeland Security inspector general's office said Tuesday it is dispatching 30 investigators and auditors to Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama to oversee the payments to state and local agencies, private contractors and, to a lesser extent, individuals.
From the Memphis Commercial Appeal - Subscription required.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/nation_and_world/article/0,1426,MCA_454_4078909,00.html