The Order, which was referred to
the House Rules Committee this morning, calls upon the House Committee on Post
Audit and Oversight to investigate the use of these hidden trust accounts,
which was first reported on by the Boston Herald yesterday. The Herald investigation found that tens of
millions of dollars in taxpayer money was diverted to these accounts, without
legislative oversight, to help fund many of the former governor’s overseas
trade missions, including the costs of air flights, hotels and transportation.
The Order calls for a detailed accounting of all deposits
and expenditures from these accounts, and directs the committee to “make
recommendations for implementing appropriate corrective measures to ensure
proper oversight and legislative approval of similar trust accounts that
utilize public dollars in the future, including regular audits of said
accounts”. The Order requires the
committee to file a report on its findings, along with any legislative
recommendations, with the Clerk of the House and the Chairman of the House Ways
and Means Committee by September 9, 2015.
Also today, the House Republican leadership contacted
Inspector General Glenn A. Cunha on behalf of the Caucus to request that his
office conduct its own investigation into the matter. In a letter to Cunha, the House Republican leadership
wrote that the Herald’s findings “warrant a thorough investigation by your
office to ensure that the Patrick Administration did not circumvent what should
always be an open and transparent process when it comes to the expenditure of
taxpayer dollars.” The letter was signed
by House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) and Representatives
Brad Hill (R-Ipswich), Elizabeth Poirier (R-North Attleboro), Susan Gifford
(R-Wareham), Paul Frost (R-Auburn) and Todd Smola (R-Warren).
