Tag: Post-Audits Committee

An audit has looked further into West Virginia Supreme Court employees’ travel expenses.

The audit was released Sunday during legislative interim meetings in Charleston.

It found Justice Robin Davis reserved a court vehicle seven times where a destination was provided but no purpose was specified to substantiate the vehicle’s use.

The audit also found ex-court administrator Steve Canterbury had 20 instances of renting a car for personal use and was improperly reimbursed $911. In addition, he reserved a court vehicle six times without providing a purpose or destination.

The audit found during an IRS audit of the court’s 2015 federal employment tax returns, it did not provide information regarding Justice Menis Ketchum’s use of a court vehicle for commuting.

An earlier audit found Ketchum and Justice Allen Loughry ignored mandatory reporting guidelines for personal use of state-owned vehicles.

Legislative auditors have set their sights on the West Virginia Supreme Court.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports auditors notified the legislative Post-Audits Committee on Sunday that they planned to audit the state Supreme Court this year.

Legislative Auditor Aaron Allred did not elaborate, beyond saying they had notified the court and haven’t received a response.

The announced plans follow news reports from late last year of the court spending more than $3.7 million to renovate and redecorate justices’ Capitol offices. Chief Justice Allen Loughry was also reported to have furnished his home office with furniture from the court.

The Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety will also undergo an audit this year. Gov. Jim Justice recently declared a state of emergency over staffing at jails, with the department’s purview.