Missouri State Auditor Tom Schweich released a harsh audit of the Missouri Governor’s office on Wednesday. The findings accuse the governor of overspending his appropriation by $1.7 million. The audit accuses Nixon of thumbing his nose at the budget appropriation process by shifting the costs for travel and salaries onto other state agencies.
Specifically Schweich says Nixon billed other agencies $770,000 for his staff’s salaries and $565,000 for travel expenses.
“And what the governor is doing is finding ways to accede that appropriation by forcing other agencies to take that money out of their appropriation," says Schweich. "No accountant thinks that’s proper, no one I’ve heard of thinks that’s proper.”
Nixon’s staff released a statement saying the Governor’s office accounts for its operational costs in a manner that properly reflects the nature of the work it performs.
Some question the timing of the audit given that Schweich is a Republican and Nixon is a Democrat up for re-election in November.
