Audit: Lax oversight in Texas double payments - Military News | News From Afghanistan, Iraq And Around The World - Military Times

Audit: Lax oversight in Texas double payments

AUSTIN, Texas — A state audit has found that three generals in the Texas Military Forces and two members of the Adjutant General’s Department command group billed Texas for more than 7,300 hours of emergency leave while they were also being paid by the federal government.

The audit about the payments released Monday blamed lax oversight and weak internal audits for not catching the problem. Internal questions had been raised in 2007 about whether the practice amounted to double dipping.

In 2003, 89 hours of emergency leave was billed to the state while officers were on federal deployment. The number of hours grew to 2,054 last year. The audit said some of the leave may have been used for valid purposes, the Austin American-Statesman reported in its online edition.

The billing stopped in September 2008 when a military lawyer said it violated state law.

The newspaper reported that Adjutant Gen. Charles Rodriguez, top commander of the Texas Military Forces, has voluntarily repaid $53,320 to the state for 2,376 hours of “emergency leave.” But the audit said he may owe for 425 hours of comp time that he might not have been eligible for.

The audit found that Maj. Gen. John Furlow, commander of the Texas Army National Guard, received 2,424 hours of emergency leave pay while deployed and Maj. Gen. Allen Dehnert, commander of the Texas Air National Guard, received 952 hours.

The amounts two assistant adjutants must reimburse the state haven’t been determined.

Rodriguez, Furlow and Dehnert are being replaced but Gov. Rick Perry’s office said the change is not related to the double payments.

Texas Military Forces leaders may draw no more than 15 days of state-paid military leave annually while being deployed by the federal government.

The auditors recommended that information on how much the officers owe be forwarded to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott.

The audit found that questions raised about the practice in an internal audit in 2007 did not include a plan for getting answers and noted that it was difficult to investigate any potential law violations because the internal auditor reported to the adjutant general.

The audit also noted state auditors were not notified by Rodriguez’s department about the double payments as required by law.