The state auditor reported this month that its latest investigations of improper activities by state agencies and employees found several instances of tax dollars being wasted, including:
A psychiatric technician did not account for his absences and improperly received $7,500 of overtime pay during a one-year period.
An administrative supervisor failed to accurately report her time, which cost the state an estimated $5,200.
A University of California at Davis professor improperly received travel and entertainment reimbursements totaling $1,200 for limousine trips and additional travel expenses.
Staff at an administrative office within the state prison system hosted an illegal raffle for prizes that included the unauthorized sale of alcoholic beverages.
For a 14-month period, a supervisor in the Department of Industrial Relations did not ensure a subordinate was fully productive during work hours, at an estimated cost to the taxpayers of $5,400.
An analyst in the Department of Social Services used her state email account to send or receive almost 400 personal emails during a 10-month period.
The report includes information on corrective actions taken from July 1993 through June 2017 in response to past findings of improper activities: 337 reprimands; 12 convictions; 22 demotions; 87 job terminations; 21 resignations or retirements while under investigation (this figure covers a shorter period of time, as the state auditor began tracking resignations and retirements in 2007); 57 pay reductions; and 28 suspensions without pay. (Source: California State Auditor Report I2017-2, October 12.)