Posted on 08/11/2005 9:05:45 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
For nearly two years, a single employee at the state Air Resources Board stole 2,092 gallons of gas, often using his state-issued fuel credit card to pay for fill-ups of his personal vehicle.
Some gas also went into his state-assigned vehicle, which he then routinely drove for nonwork purposes, violating state regulations as he racked up 2,000 miles on the taxpayers' tab, state auditors found.
These allegations - and they don't end here - illustrate the potential for abuse of the state fuel card system. Concerned about weak oversight in the system, state Auditor Elizabeth M. Howle has asked the Department of General Services to improve security.
In an interview, Howle said she can't say much about the weaknesses that she outlined in a classified letter to the agency.
"If a state employee knew of the weakness and had all the details, they could potentially take advantage of it," she said. "The weakness affects anyone out there with a state fuel card. We consider it quite serious."
Howle said she expects the Department of General Services to respond to her letter by early next month. The Bee requested a copy of her letter under the state's Public Records Act. The Department of General Services refused to disclose it, saying the letter "is of a security-sensitive nature."
Matt Bender, a spokesman for the Department of General Services, declined to even discuss Howle's letter, saying: "We cannot disclose or divulge anything about the Bureau of State Audit's confidential findings."
The state made no attempt to recover the $3,634 in gas that it says the Air Resources Board employee siphoned off before he was caught. The individual, whom the state declined to identify, was fired in October 2003.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
Make that ex-employee
This guy found $1.73 gas in California -- for a year!! Promote the SOB if this is true!
These are the same auditors that cant find 30,000 state vehicles?
Why not ask for reimbursement?
They should find a way to prosecute him for misappropriating taxpayer money, at least as an example to discourage other government employees from similar behavior. Or, at least they could identify the ex-employee for public humiliation.
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