Overview
- The North Carolina Office of the State Auditor released a 2,600-page audit on Thursday that identified more than $1 million in purchases it called excessive, undocumented, or lacking a clear government purpose.
- The audit flagged specific transactions including roughly $37,301 in graduate tuition later reimbursed, a $3,419 penthouse hotel stay, $65,653 paid to a ghostwriter, and more than $86,000 on retreat video production.
- Auditors documented weak financial controls and heavy use of procurement cards, noting 828 cards in circulation and 60,591 purchasing-card transactions totaling $24.2 million from January 2024 through December 2025.
- State Auditor Dave Boliek shared referral items with the Wake County District Attorney and the SBI, and criminal investigations are ongoing though no charges have been announced.
- Cary has posted a public oversight tracker listing nearly 40 reforms, including restoring an internal auditor and tightening procurement-card rules, while residents press for accountability after a recent 8% property-tax increase.