Maryland Transportation Authority employees used credit cards to charge excessive for supplies and at least one former state worked charged $1,800 for a dinner for about 29 unknown guests, according to a state legislative audit released Tuesday.
Contracts worth millions of dollars also did not have their labor costs documented properly, and the agency, which operates Maryland bridges and tunnels, may have paid the state too much, auditors said.
The auditors also said three employees spent $5,000 purchasing items from vendors that previously had charged excessive prices. This information should have been passed on to the attorney general?s office for prosecution, the auditors said.
“As audits go, this wasn?t a large number of items,” Director of Fiscal Compliance Audits Gerald Martz said. “They agreed with everything in the report.”
In a statement provided to The Examiner, Ronald Freeland, executive secretary of the authority, said: “The authority certainly takes the audit very seriously and has thoroughly reviewed all findings. We concurred with the auditors? recommendations, and are ensuring that we have the necessary procedures in place for full compliance with state laws and regulations.”
Transportation officials said “all matters regarding possible criminal or unethical conduct by its employees” were referred to the governor?s counsel, attorney general and the State Ethics Commission on May 2. This involved nine employees, authority public information officer Kelly Melhem said. The names were not released.
Transportation officials also said two employees who resigned in January made the travel and meal purchases. Officials said they may seek reimbursement “if warranted.” The $1,800 meal charge was “for meals provided by authority, staff and invited guests during an Authority-hosted event at an International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association conference,” officials said.
Transportation officials also pledged to review the credit limits on state-issued credit cards, some of which had limits of $15,000 per month. The agency said it had reduced credit limits on 55 cards since January 2006.
