COLUMBUS (AP) — Ohio’s government watchdog says $255,000 in federal stimulus money for training state workers might have been improperly spent.
State Inspector General Randall Meyer’s report released Tuesday said he found undocumented wages and unallowable expenses.
The Columbus Dispatch reports the inspector general says grant money was used to pay cellphone bills and buy gift cards. The state report also questioned staff wages and benefits paid to organizations that didn’t provide required documentation.
The report says an Ohio Department of Job and Family Services office failed to adequately oversee the $1 million federal grant for the jobs-training initiative for southwest Ohio.
A Jobs and Family Services spokesman says none of the employees referred to in the report work for the state agency. The agency is reviewing the report.
Comments
It's all in your definition of what is proper spending. To those receiving gift cards and paid cell phones, they probably thought it was proper spending. In fact, they probably thought it was just part of Obama being the nice guy he is, and this was part of his overall stimulus package. Cell phones and gift cards for everyone! They probably thought it was just part of the training program, teaching the new people how big government works. Money falls from the sky and you spend it. Documentation? We don't need no stinkin' documentation.