BATON ROUGE (AP) - State officials have released an audit that found the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission was clocking hundreds of hours in excessive overtime, misusing thousands of state and federal dollars, allowing unauthorized travel expenses and failing to properly track employee leave.

  

The audit was released Thursday to The Advocate in response to a public records request.

  

In the audit, the state Department of Public Safety says the commission had an alarming rate of turnover. It also outlined 15 "areas of concern," including a systemic lack of payroll controls and "possible ethics violations" such as commission employees attending the Essence Festival in New Orleans with tickets provided by a state vendor.

  

Commission Executive Director Lisa Freeman says she agreed with the auditors' recommendations and that she has used the audit as a "blueprint" to overhaul the agency.