State agencies are awarding millions of tax dollars to nonprofits with vague descriptions of how the funds will be used and are failing to properly monitor that spending, an office said in a Facebook post.
The office said its review found examples of taxpayer-funded expenditures that included midnight Lyft rides to bars and nightclub rental fees. It said state government officials could not account for how much taxpayer money has gone to nonprofits or identify all recipients.
In response, the office said it created a nonprofit spending dashboard to provide greater transparency. The tool allows taxpayers to search grant and payment information by agency and by nonprofit, the post said.
The issue highlights long-standing questions about oversight of public funds awarded to private organizations for state programs and services. This is a developing story and will be updated as more details emerge.
