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• Audit: Unreliable data used for tuition hikes

  June 10, 2013 5:03 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A new audit says 79 percent of community and technical colleges using a program that lets them raise student tuition didn't provide reliable data to gain that permission. The review by Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera's office was released Monday. It echoed findings from a year earlier, which... more »

• Report: Poor accounting means no Jonesboro audit

  June 10, 2013 2:01 PM

  JONESBORO - The state Legislative Auditor says the town of Jonesboro's financial records could not be audited for the 2012 fiscal year because of accounting inadequacies. A report released Monday by auditor Daryl Purpera also noted other problems. They include improper accounting of traffic tickets, water and sewer collection issues,... more »

• Republican prompts inquiry into party finances

  May 23, 2013 10:51 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A member of the Republican Party asked the Louisiana Legislative Auditor to peek into the finances of the GOP in the state WBRZ News 2 learned. The new information came a day after a WBRZ News 2 report about outrage in the party after leaders received a... more »

• Republicans question reason behind financial records request Play Video

  May 22, 2013 9:12 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Questions surround the state Capitol after the Legislative Auditor told the Republican Party of Louisiana to hand over financial documents. "State law says they are suppose to submit it," Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera said. Recently, a legislator brought the law to his attention. State statute... more »

• Audit: DOE skipped steps in monitoring charters

  May 20, 2013 11:20 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A new audit says the state education department had gaps in its monitoring of the academic performance of Louisiana's charter schools. The review, released Monday by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor's Office, looked at charter school monitoring activities during the 2011-12 budget year. The audit says the Department... more »

• Audit criticizes Folsom finances

  May 13, 2013 11:46 AM

  FOLSOM, La. - A state audit of the finances of the village of Folsom cites 19 findings of deficiencies, including undocumented fuel expenses for a vehicle driven by the mayor. The report from the state legislative auditor's office, prepared by the firm of Griffin and Co., also finds that more... more »

• Audit: $42M in layoff costs for LSU privatization

  May 13, 2013 10:12 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A new audit says Gov. Bobby Jindal's push to privatize all but one of the LSU-run hospitals across south Louisiana would cost the state $42 million for layoff costs. The analysis by Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera's office says privatization of six hospitals in the LSU Health Care... more »

• Report: Felons, prisoners and overpayments in SNAP Play Video

  May 6, 2013 3:43 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Nearly 2,000 prisoners and drug felons received more than $1 million in food stamp payments during 2011 and 2012, according to a report from the Louisiana Auditor's office. The state food stamp program, now known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), gave 1,761 incarcerated participants $1,107,740,... more »

• Audit: Students missed out on financial aid Play Video

  April 15, 2013 5:50 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Students at Capital Area Technical College missed out on financial aid, according to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor. The reports says 693 students attending CATC did not receive academic excellence and operational fee waivers totalling $58,635, although they were later identified as being eligible. Almost 3,500... more »

• Audit says Katrina aid may have been misspent

  April 3, 2013 2:32 PM

  WASHINGTON- Federal investigators say as much as $700 million in federal aid intended to help some 24,000 Louisiana families elevate their homes after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 may have been misspent. A report by the Housing and Urban Development Department's inspector general says some homeowners who got grants... more »

• Audit of hospital finds $67K in questioned costs

  March 26, 2013 9:01 AM

  NEW ORLEANS- An audit finds the Interim LSU Public Hospital in New Orleans did not confirm patients were eligible for a federally-funded HIV program for low-income individuals and families. While the hospital has since outsourced eligibility screenings to the Department of Health and Hospitals, no plan is yet in place... more »

• Audit outlines trouble with hurricane program

  February 25, 2013 8:58 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A new audit says Louisiana's "Katrina cottages" program paid significantly more per house than other similar initiatives. And in some instances, the audit says the homes were poorly constructed and families were forced to temporarily move out. The review of the problem-plagued $75 million program was released... more »

• Needed repairs at Baker High Play Video

  January 24, 2013 5:46 PM

  BAKER - Some tough decisions need to made about the safety of Baker High School. The building is falling apart and parents are worried about their kids. "The condition of the school needs to be repaired," said Estelle Jarvis. About 500 students attend the 63- year-old school.... more »

• Baton Rouge woman booked with Medicaid fraud

  December 11, 2012 9:50 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A 34-year-old Baton Rouge woman has been booked with seven counts of Medicaid fraud for filing false claims. Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell says Angela A. Taylor was arrested by investigators from the Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit on Thursday. Caldwell says the complaint... more »

• Audit: Restaurant inspections don't ensure safety

  November 26, 2012 2:32 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A new audit says Louisiana's Office of Public Health has fallen short in its inspections of restaurants and other retail establishments that serve food, failing to ensure the meals are safe. The audit says the state issued permits to restaurants that didn't correct past violations, rarely assessed... more »

• ATC audit finds agents skipping work, leaving early

  August 21, 2012 3:10 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The state commissioner for the Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control demoted two agents and said a third resigned in the wake of an audit into just how much time they were spending at work. Commissioner Troy Hebert said the internal investigation looked into suspected payroll... more »

• Audit reveals problems with Leeville toll bridge

  July 30, 2012 5:22 PM

  BATON ROUGE - State auditors say an electronic toll collection system implemented on the LA 1 Bridge in Leeville three years ago continues to struggle with glitches that have been preventing it from collecting some toll violations. In a financial report released Monday, the state auditor's office said the Louisiana... more »

• Audit finds bad record keeping, strange payouts at water district

  July 24, 2012 9:26 PM

  PLAQUEMINE, Louisiana - The Waterworks District #2 in Iberville Parish is in hot water after two scathing audit reports. The audits were presented to the Iberville Parish Council during a regular scheduled meeting Tuesday at the Iberville Courthouse. The parish auditor presented council with a Comprehensive Annual Financial... more »

• Audit: Job-training program overspends

  June 12, 2012 6:35 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A new report from the Legislative Auditor's Office says a state job-training and employment program spent between $3 million and $5 million more on transportation than it should have compared to practices used in other states or even within other areas of state government. The Times-Picayune reports... more »

• SU audit notes problems with waiver program

  May 14, 2012 10:16 AM

  BATON ROUGE - An audit of the Southern University System for the fiscal year that ended last June says there is no evidence students at the Southern Law Center and the New Orleans and Shreveport campuses were informed in a timely manner on how to apply for hardship fee waivers.... more »

• State audit report critical of BRCC

  March 27, 2012 8:33 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A report by the legislative auditor finds Baton Rouge Community College misappropriated computer equipment and firearms. In letters to Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera, former interim Chancellor Jim Horton wrote that the college "recognizes its responsibility" for the lapses and stated that administrators have taken corrective actions. BRCC... more »

• State audit report critical of BRCC

  March 27, 2012 7:00 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A report by the legislative auditor finds Baton Rouge Community College misappropriated computer equipment and firearms. In letters to Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera, former interim Chancellor Jim Horton wrote that the college "recognizes its responsibility" for the lapses and stated that administrators have taken corrective actions. BRCC... more »

• Audit looks at Louisiana's tax breaks

  March 5, 2012 11:19 AM

  BATON ROUGE- Tax breaks to businesses and individuals in Louisiana cut state tax liabilities by $4.8 billion over six years, more heavily benefiting companies over people in the state. Those are the findings of a new audit, released Monday, by Louisiana Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera's office. Louisiana has 464 tax... more »

• Avoid IRS tax problems

  February 10, 2012 10:33 AM

  BATON ROUGE - This is the time of year millions of Americans dread, tax season. This year the tax deadline is April 16th. If you haven't filed your taxes yet, then watch NEWS2 tonight at 6pm. Olivia LaBorde has tips from the Internal Revenue Service that can... more »

• Audit: Town must pay the state

  July 24, 2011 10:35 AM

  WASHINGTON, La.- An audit suggests the town of Washington owes state government $222,130 from speeding tickets issued by police officers on Interstate 49. State law requires fines collected by local law enforcement from motorists exceeding the speed limit by less than 10 miles per hour on an interstate highway... more »

• State audit: Town of Tullos mishandled funds

  June 9, 2011 6:05 AM

  BATON ROUGE- A state investigation of the town of Tullos has found that a former clerk may have helped herself to town money, and that a former mayor routinely missed work and dismissed Mayor's Court traffic cases outside the courtroom. The Legislative Auditor's Office report also says that the former... more »

• Audit: Town of Washington kept fines illegally

  May 31, 2011 6:28 AM

  BATON ROUGE- A state audit has found that Washington, a small town along Interstate 49 that depends on speeding fines to support its budget, has decided not to comply with a 2009 state law aimed at reducing speed traps. Instead, the audit of the town's 2009-2010 fiscal year found it... more »

• Audit: La. horsemen assn. may have spent improperly

  May 9, 2011 11:29 AM

  BATON ROUGE- A new report says an organization representing Louisiana racing horse owners and trainers used money earmarked for medical, pension and workmen's compensation benefits for expensive lobbying efforts and lavish trips to internationalbeach resorts. The audit of the Louisiana Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association was released Monday by... more »

• Audit questions school spending under ex-director

  April 25, 2011 1:19 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A state audit raises questions about more than $60,000 in expenses by a former director of the public school run by Southern University in Baton Rouge. The Legislative audit says Derek Morgan made disbursements from a Southern University Laboratory School account totaling more than $60,000 that... more »

• State may have to pay back education stimulus funds

  April 4, 2011 5:49 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A state audit questions $296 million in federal funds received by the state. $285 million involves federal stimulus money for higher education. According to the audit, the state spent the money on higher education without meeting a key component. The feds required that states fund higher... more »

• Audit looking into school uniform spending in EBR

  March 17, 2011 11:08 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A probe into how an East Baton Rouge Parish School System employee spent school uniform money is underway. Investigators with the U.S. Department of Education requested information on Carolyn Coleman, who acted as a liaison for a homeless student program in the system. A grand... more »

• Audit targets juvenile justice contracts

  February 11, 2011 5:54 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A recent state performance audit shows expensive problems within the Office of Juvenile Justice. Most of the issues deal with a lack of scrutiny for contracts, which amount to 40 percent of the office budget or $62 million dollars. Auditors say there is a good review... more »

• Report: FEMA hasn't tried to recoup $643M in bad payments

  January 3, 2011 2:50 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A government audit says the Federal Emergency Management Agency hasn't tried to recoup roughly $643 million in improper payments made to victims of Hurricane Katrina and other disasters. A report issued Monday by the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general's office says the improper payments have gone... more »

• Audit: FEMA grant wrongly given to ACORN Institute

  December 1, 2010 11:20 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A government audit says the Federal Emergency Management Agency overruled its review board to give a $450,500 grant to an ACORN affiliate that should not have received the money. The Department of Homeland Security Inspector General's Office also says the ACORN Institute didn't do all it said... more »

• Heads of LHA resign after HUD steps in

  October 25, 2010 2:51 PM

  The director and deputy director of the Lafayette Housing Authority have resigned after a federal audit raised questions about the group’s finances. The Advocate newspaper reports that LHA Director Walter Guillory and Deputy Director Jonathan Carmouch resigned at a staff meeting this morning. This comes about a week after federal... more »

• La. agency: missing items found

  October 20, 2010 8:06 AM

  A recent state audit accuses the state Department of Public Safety and Corrections of losing track of $1.5 million in property. Officials agreed with the audit's findings at first but said that they have located most of what was missing after looking around a little bit. Louisiana State Police Superintendent... more »

• Central community reacts to state audit of school system

  October 11, 2010 10:19 PM

  Outrage and understanding emerged from a standing room only crowd in Central Monday night. The reactions came after the school board addressed an audit that outlined bid law violations, money and record mismanagement. News 2's Ashley Rodrigue found out more on why some said they understand the school system... more »

• Audit questions spending by non-profit organization

  October 5, 2010 5:41 PM

  An audit conducted by Inspector General Jeffrey Schanz of Washington, D.C. is calling nearly $300,000 in spending by a local non-profit organization in Baton Rouge unnecessary. The audit showed from 2005-2009, the director of the Capital Area Legal Services Corporation expensed items for things like dinners, cars and entertainment.... more »

• Central superintendent responds to audit

  October 4, 2010 8:46 PM

  A state audit shows Central's school board didn't take bids for half a million dollars for software and equipment. Superintendent Michael Faulk said he knew there was a problem before the audit blew the whistle. According to the state’s 2010 audit, the school board in Central failed to accept... more »

• Audit: stronger security needed at U.S. nuclear plants

  October 4, 2010 10:03 AM

  A federal audit calls for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to improve nuclear power plant security against infiltration by potential terrorists. The audit set to be released today recommends additional training in identifying suspected terrorists, greater access to criminal databases by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, stepped up "re-screening" of power plant... more »

• State audits LHSAA books

  September 28, 2010 6:32 AM

  A legislative audit finds the former head of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association may have fraudulently spent thousands of dollars of association money including as much as $50,000 on cigars. The audit claims Tommy Henry, who retired in 2007, may have improperly used an LHSAA credit card to buy... more »

• State audits LHSAA, finds $400,000 in questionable expenses

  September 27, 2010 10:34 PM

  Questionable expenses were found after an audit of the group that regulates high school sports. The Louisiana High School Athletic Association's former Commissioner Tommy Henry said the organization's Board of Directors approved every purchase, making those purchases legitimate buys in his eyes. Now, the organization said it's no longer business... more »

• Audit cites flaws in interstate jobless payments

  June 28, 2010 5:47 PM

  A legislative audit shows the state labor department paid more than $21 million in unemployment benefits but never got the money back from Louisiana employers. The audit was conducted last year. The money went to people who worked in Louisiana then moved to another state and filed for unemployment... more »

• Audit cites flaws in interstate jobless payments

  June 28, 2010 9:48 AM

  The state labor department paid more than $21 million in unemployment benefits without getting the required payback of the money from Louisiana employers, according to an audit. According to the Legislative Auditor's report, the money went to people who worked in Louisiana but who went on to file for unemployment... more »

• Audit suggests improvements for Central School System

  June 24, 2010 4:14 PM

  An audit prepared for the Central Community School System suggests making some critical changes before starting the next school year in August. The 32-page audit showed staff complaining about poor working conditions and highlighted proper protocols not being followed. The audit was completed at the request of school board... more »

• Audit finds billing problems

  April 6, 2010 6:57 AM

  A legislative auditor's report has found medical billing problems at three LSU operated hospitals. The audit report released Monday finds that Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans, University Medical Center at Lafayette and Lallie Kemp Regional Medical Center at Independence failed to adequately bill and record certain hospital professional... more »

• Audit tells of 2009 misappropriation by deputy

  March 2, 2010 5:25 AM

  The civil sheriff of Orleans Parish is working to improve internal financial controls after a deputy misappropriated $50,000. An audit said a deputy falsified payroll records for special events. The sheriff's office discovered the problem last year and the deputy eventually pleaded guilty to misappropriation of public funds. The audit... more »

• La. should check tax files of contractors

  February 23, 2010 8:01 AM

  A new audit concludes that lawmakers should consider requiring "tax clearances" for individuals and businesses that contract with the state. The Legislative Auditor's Office made the recommendation in a report released to the public Monday. The office looked at the state revenue department's methods for identifying people and businesses who... more »

• Audit questions Citizens security

  January 25, 2010 3:25 PM

  Louisiana's property insurer of last resort allowed too much access to computer systems, that's according to a state audit released Monday. The State Auditor's Office said it found enough problems with Citizens Insurance, that it couldn't give an opinion on the accuracy of insurer's records. In response to... more »

• Audit says Recovery School District chief misused state vehicle

  November 23, 2009 10:02 AM

  A new audit says the superintendent of the Recovery School District misused his state-owned vehicle, driving it on personal trips, including dozens of visits to see family in Illinois. The audit says Paul Vallas also used public funds for gasoline on those personal trips and the state paid the insurance... more »

• State audit grades St. Gabriel bookkeeping a C

  October 16, 2009 10:33 PM

  State legislative auditors found some discrepancies in the City of St. Gabriel's financial paper work. Among other things, the city failed to update its books for the past year. The mayor also let the city clerk sign checks drawn on the city's account. The issue that jumped out... more »