Republicans in the Maine Legislature are calling for investigations after an annual state audit found breakdowns in how the state awards contracts as well as overpayments in some assistance programs.
The audit reviewed a sample of the $2.1 billion in contract-related programs in the last fiscal year. It found several procedural deficiencies, including signing contracts after work had already begun and failures to document a cost analysis. It also found that multiple contracts were awarded to vendors already doing business with the state, which Republicans say circumvents the standard bidding process for contracts of $5,000 or more.
House minority leader Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham, of Winter Harbor, said those findings and others should warrant investigation by the federal government because federal money is involved.
"There are a lot of federal rules that weren't followed in dispersing this money and these are requirements. That means required, not suggested," he said.
State finance commissioner Kirsten Figueroa downplayed the findings during a legislative hearing last week. She says the audit found no evidence of fraud, waste or abuse and noted that none of the findings warranted a referral to the Maine Office of Attorney General. Her office also disagreed with some of the findings, saying the audit overlooked documentation used to justify some contracts. It has also noted the number of deficiencies in the state audit declined by more than 20% compared to the audit for the fiscal year ending in 2023.
State Auditor Matt Dunlap, a Democrat elected by the Legislature, told the committee that the audit is designed to improve the state procurement processes. He does not expect the federal government will move to claw back contracts based on his findings.
Republicans suggested during news conference Tuesday that they might ask the Government Oversight Committee to approve an investigation by the legislature watch dog agency, the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability. Some have also called for a federal probe.
