One public university employee submitted 150K in expenses over 3 years. Living the good life

[Liberal_in_LA]

He now works for the UC system

Audit reveals Cal State official received over $150,000 in 'improper reimbursements'
State auditor says CSU improperly approved expense claims for travel, meals and living expenses
By Robert Grimmick

Updated: Friday, December 4, 2009

Students in the California State University system may not know everything their fees help pay for, but they’d probably be surprised to learn that one CSU official used university money to pay for trips to China, Amsterdam and Australia.

In a report released Thursday, California State Auditor Elaine Howle revealed that a former employee of the CSU chancellor’s office received more than $150,000 in improper reimbursements between July 2005 and July 2008. The report also said the university failed to adequately review the expenses claimed. The employee, who was not named, was described as a high-ranking official in the Information Technology Services department of the chancellor’s office.

Nearly $40,000 of the reimbursements were for travel that “appeared to offer the university few tangible benefits,” according to the report. Trips to high-profile destinations such as Shanghai, Melbourne, London and Amsterdam were covered by university funds. Other travel expenses that were reimbursed include lodging for a two-night stay in Pebble Beach, Calif., at $672 per night, $448 for shuttle service between a Boston, Mass., airport and a conference site 50 miles away, membership in airline clubs, and use of hourly airport parking lots during long trips when long-term parking was available.

The former official included meals, commute expenses, personal expenses and a living allowance in his expense claims.

In the report, the state auditor also criticized the university for lacking policies and safeguards to discourage inappropriate reimbursements, as well as failing to enforce caps on spending that were in place. During the three-year period examined in the report, the official claimed $26,455 in business-related meal expenses. In one case, the he was reimbursed $2,332 for a business-related dinner attended by 14 CSU staff members, at a cost of almost $167 per person. University policy at the time prohibited payments of more than $25 per person for meal expenses, but the official was still reimbursed.

When interviewed, the official defended many of his claimed expenses. He said the expensive meals were used to thank people who served on university committees and organizations.

http://www.daily49er.com/news/audit-reveals-cal-state-official-received-over-150-000-in-improper-reimbursements-1.2112478

[FarCenter]

1. Depending on the job, $50 K / year for travel expenses is not particularly high

[Nikki Stone1]

2. It is when you are cutting part timers who make a whole lot less than that.

Not good for this asshole. But then you know how I feel about this Chancellor Reed guy.

http://www.calstate.edu/Executive/