Audit Finds Guitars, Plane Tickets Among $255,000 Of Improper Purchases On State Credit Cards

Four Maryland employees made about $255,000 in improper purchases — including guitars, plane tickets and toy soldiers — with state credit cards intended for business spending, a state audit of the program found.

The audit concluded that agencies could prevent workers from abusing the 17-year-old, $260 million credit card program by using more comprehensive data to better monitor the purchases. Rather than viewing only where purchases were made, like a bank statement, state officials should regularly monitor data that shows exactly what was bought, said Thomas Barnickel, the legislative auditor.

The auditors used the more detailed data to identify the illegal purchases in the report. They also recommended that state agencies better coordinate with banks to identify circumstances or trends that may indicate inappropriate use.
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