More than $56,000 in expenditures not properly tracked from 2010 through 2014, preliminary Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s report alleges
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries accounting procedures were so lax between 2010 and 2014 that state auditors are unable to determine if more than $56,000 in promotional items were properly purchased — and indicated some donations to the agency’s saltwater tournament could have broken state ethics laws, Louisiana Sportsman has learned.
“LDWF did not establish written policies and procedures specific to the (Louisiana Saltwater Series),” according to a portion of the preliminary Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s report obtained by the Sportsman from an unnamed source. “Therefore, we cannot determine if the … LaCarte card purchases were proper.”
LaCarte is the state credit card system apparently used to purchase $56,052 in promotional items given away during the Saltwater Series from 2010 through 2014, the report shows.
Included in these purchases, some of which apparently went to LDWF employees, were:
• 4,150 koozies
• 1,533 shirts, hats and jackets
• 400 tippet cutters
• 370 12-function multi-tools
• 275 magnet camouflaged flashlights
• 45 mesh fish bags.
“The items were provided to attendees, vendors and LDWF employees to promote the LASS program,” the report states.
The preliminary report also took the agency to task for how it accepted and tracked donations.
“LDWF did not perform monitoring procedures for items donated to the (Saltwater Series) program and to the License to Win Sweepstakes, and did not maintain a list of items or funds donated, including item descriptions and amounts, and donor information,” the report reads.
In fact, auditors found some thousands of dollars in donations could have been illegal.
“LDWF employees solicited and received cash donations totaling $20,000, which were provided to the (Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation) for the (Saltwater Series) program, from entities that the department regulates, which may have violated the state’s ethics laws,” according to the report.
Auditors said the agency did not have “adequate controls” over cooperative endeavor procedures with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation, a tax-exempt 501(C)3 organization set up to accept donations to support LDWF operations.
“Although the (LDWF) has a cooperative endeavor agreement with the (Foundation) for general cooperation, there were no written operating procedures specific to the Louisiana Saltwater Series program or the License to Win Sweepstakes,” the report states.
When reached for comment, LDWF’s Toby Gascon said he could not comment on the preliminary report because there is an ongoing investigation into agency spending under the administration of former Secretary Robert Barham.
Several news outlets reported the criminal investigation earlier this week, with one outlet quoting unnamed LDWF sources as saying they would “be shocked” if arrests didn’t happen.
Gascon told Louisiana Sportsman today the investigation began while Barham was still the LDWF chief, and that current Secretary Charlie Melancon has ordered agency employees to cooperate fully with auditors and investigators.
Gascon, who serves as Melancon’s “confidential assistant,” said accounting and donation procedures for the tournament series were tightened up after 2014.
Expenditures for the program after 2014 were not available Friday because the office was closed due to the severe flooding in Southeast Louisiana, but Gascon said all transactions have been more closely tracked since then.
“That program, from its inception to now, has come a long way,” Gascon said. “From 2014 on, the expenses for the LASS were much better accounted for.”
He also said donations to the tournament series are now being closely vetted.
“We are reviewing everything to make sure everything is done according to state law,” Gascon said.
