Thread: Auditor: Mary Easley's trips 'unreasonable, excessive'

RALEIGH, N.C. — European trips taken by First Lady Mary Easley included "unreasonable and excessive expenses," according to a report released Thursday by State Auditor Leslie Merritt.

Easley took the trips to France and to Estonia and Russia with the state Department of Cultural Resources.

Gov. Mike Easley's office released a statement in response to the audit: "The first lady was asked by Cultural Resources to attend. And as such, she did what she was asked to do by the department."

Staci Meyer, Cultural Resources' chief deputy secretary, filed a response to the audit.

"While the department disagrees with your conclusions regarding 'unreasonable costs,' after thoughtful consideration of your observations and recommendations, the department will expend private contributions to pay for any costs you have characterized as 'unreasonable.'"

The auditor's report identified those "unreasonable" expenses as:

An average per-room lodging expense of $955.40 while in St. Petersburg
Excessive meal reimbursements that included a lunchtime caviar cocktail costing $332.12 and hundreds of dollars in alcohol purchases in violation of state policy
Entertainment expenses, including ballet tickets costing $1,169.56
24-hour availability of private transportation for the first lady in a Mercedes SUV for $27,012.61
The report also noted that the first lady’s former executive assistant was reimbursed $227.50 for a “Meal for 4â€

Someone needs to go to jail over this crap! I'm sick and tired of politicians and their families enriching themselves at the expense of hard working Americans, many of which, cannot even afford to send their kids to school, much less live like these people do!

Is this where are tax dollars go?

that Americans are extremely tapped and strapped right now and these greedy scum take complete advantage of us...

Unbelievable!!!

As if the Governor's wife, of any state, should be globe trotting at tax payer expense for any reason.....let alone as an "ambassador of cultural enrichment".

I agree with NoBueno, somebody needs to start going to jail for all of this crap.