DONALDSONVILLE —A state audit has found that West Ascension Hospital District made nearly $150,000 in contributions to schools, private organizations and individuals without receiving any services in return.

The audit, released Monday, also found that the district paid out $65,850 in employee bonuses that were not approved and violated public bid laws for the second year in a row.

The audit also addressed a payment made under former CEO Vince Cataldo, who stepped down in 2023 after former board member Glen Price raised concerns over a $70,000 payment Cataldo made to himself for accrued vacation days. Auditors said the district could not provide documentation to support why Cataldo received that payment. Cataldo was never criminally charged.

 "The hospital policy was that you can only be paid for two weeks of vacation pay. He paid himself for like 30- 40 weeks of vacation pay," said Price.

Price was removed as vice chair of the hospital board in 2025 after he was arrested for illegal possession of stolen copper wire and money laundering. He pleaded guilty to the possession charge in May and the DA's office dropped the money laundering charge. Price has said his arrest was purely political retaliation for running for mayor.

Price, who now still the Sunrise Community Group, said the latest findings were familiar.

"We did notice that a lot of things that were going on shouldn't have been going on," Price said.

Price said the repeated findings have been a source of frustration.

"[It's] very frustrating because that's why we had the previous board removed. That's why we forced the previous ceo out," Price said.

"We've been filing complaints with the attorney general's office, we've been filing complaints with the district attorney's office," Price said. "This is not the first time that's been done. In the previous audit, they've done the same thing with some of these horrendous audit findings, but nothing was done."

West Ascension Hospital Board President Bill Dawson told WBRZ over the phone that the board is taking action to address each of the findings, including limiting the CEO's approval powers. Anthony did not return a request for comment.

The full audit can be read here.