Commissioner Seeks Audit of Jay Nixon's Political Use of State Car

Jefferson City - After receiving a one page document with incomplete information and "estimates" for 20 months of Attorney General Jay Nixon's political and personal use of his state vehicle, Office of Administration Mike Keathley is asking State Auditor Susan Montee to audit Nixon.

"The Attorney General admitted using state vehicles for personal and political purposes for three years, while conceding that he did not reveal this fact to your office for your audit of the July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2006 time period," Keathley wrote in a letter to State Auditor Montee. "Even with that admission, your office refused to audit this issue."

In his letter to Montee, Keathley points out that on October 26, October 30 and again on November 27, his office requested from the Attorney General and the Nixon campaign, dates, mileage and backup data regarding use of state vehicles.

In response, the Office of Administration received a one page summary that is merely an estimate for Nixon's political use of his state car between November 2004 and June 2006. It includes neither mileage logs nor backup data for that twenty month period.

Keathley notes that Nixon's office or campaign appears to have withheld information about Nixon's political use of his state car from former State Auditor Claire McCaskill during her 2006 audit of Nixon's office. It is against state law to withhold information from state auditors.

"On these facts, it is obvious that further investigation and action by your office is essential," Keathley wrote. "As you know, section 29.250 RSMo, requires the state auditor to report to the prosecuting attorney any instance where a state officer 'shall refuse to submit their books, papers and concerns to the inspection of the state auditor.' Violation of this disclosure requirement is a misdemeanor."

Keathley is also asking Montee for the names of the staff members in the Attorney General's office who misled her predecessor as State Auditor.

"I believe you and I share an obligation to the taxpayers to ensure they are fully reimbursed for private and political use of state vehicles," Keathley wrote. "I respectfully ask you to help me do that by investigating what looks like an effort to pull the wool over both our eyes."

Keathley has requested a response from Auditor Montee by December 11th.

Letter to Auditor Susan Montee

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