The state auditor just released a report on trips by staff of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources to France and Estonia/Russia. First Lady Mary Easley also went on the trips. From the auditor’s press release:
In general, the report identified unreasonable and excessive expenses to the State including: an average per room lodging expense of $955.40 while in St. Petersburg, excessive meal reimbursements that included a lunchtime caviar cocktail costing $332.12, hundreds of dollars in alcohol purchases in violation of State policy, entertainment expenses including ballet tickets costing $1,169.56, and the 24-hour availability of private transportation for the First Lady in a Mercedes SUV for $27,012.61. In addition, the report discovered that the First Lady?s former Executive Assistant was reimbursed $227.50 for a ?Meal for 4? that was later determined to be the purchase of a linen jacket at a women?s clothing boutique in France.
“This report shows that Cultural Resources officials made a poor effort to set reasonable standards for overseas travel. It?s clear that meals and lodging were chosen because they met the highest quality and not because they met the standard of a ‘prudent’ public servant traveling on the taxpayers’ dollar,” said State Auditor Leslie Merritt.
You can download the complete report here.
Carolina Journal has reported on Mary Easley’s 88 percent pay hike at N.C. State University, and the News & Observer of Raleigh has reported on the trips previously.
