03/02/2023 - Jefferson City, MO
Today, Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick issued a subpoena to Kim Gardner and the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office as part of his ongoing audit of the city of St. Louis.
Subpoenaed documents include bank statements, credit card statements, policy guidelines, and other expenditure information. This information was originally requested on January 23, 2023, with a deadline of February 14, 2023.
"We've tried to work with the Circuit Attorney's Office but my patience has run out," Auditor Fitzpatrick said. "Serious questions have been raised about the performance of Kim Gardner's office, and the fact that she refuses to produce basic financial documents for review is extremely concerning. The people of St. Louis, through their Board of Aldermen, have requested this audit, so when Ms. Gardner continues to evade her responsibility to produce critical documents as requested, she isn't just refusing to cooperate with the State Auditor's office, she's also refusing to cooperate with her own constituents."
As a result of a request by the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, the State Auditor's Office has been auditing the city of St. Louis for over four years. The State Auditor's Office has released over 20 audit reports relating to this request, and anticipates finishing the audit this year.
The last state audit of the
city was completed in 2010, and included 26 audit reports.
