Audit raps DA’s spending

• By RICHARD BURGESS
• Advocate Acadiana bureau
• Published: May 13, 2008 - Page: 1BA - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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JENNINGS — Jefferson Davis Parish District Attorney Michael Cassidy and his staff put more than $120,000 in questionable expenses on the public tab, including hotel suites at more than $700 a night and $3,045 in alcoholic beverages, according to a state audit released Monday.

The state legislative auditor’s report focused mainly on 32 out-of-town trips from 2004 to 2007 and found $119,855 in expenses that appeared “to be either excessive or have no business purpose,” according to the audit.

The questionable travel expenses — most related to legal conferences — included a three-bedroom hotel suite for Cassidy in Florida at $746 per night and a meal for six employees and their families that cost $2,678.

The auditors also questioned using public money to pay travel expenses for the family of employees and billing the District Attorney’s Office for extended hotel stays after the end of conferences — many of which were at resorts in Florida.

“Reading in black and white about some of these expenses, I can see now that some of these expenses may not be considered reasonable,” Cassidy said in a written response to the audit.

“… The final point I want to make is that, other than traveling in a more expensive style than we should, neither I nor any employee personally profited form these conference travel policies. These expenses were incurred at legitimate seminars.”

Cassidy, who has been district attorney for nearly 18 years, has reimbursed his office $12,000 and agreed to develop a strict and clearly defined travel expense policy and to reduce the number of credit cards held by his staff.

The district attorney wrote in a response to the audit that he disagreed with some of the findings but acknowledged that he “should have given more time and attention to the financial aspects of this office.”

Still undetermined is whether he will face any penalties.

The findings in the audit, some of which were identified as possible violations of state law, have been forwarded to the state Attorney General’s Office and the state Board of Ethics.

Beyond the questionable travel expenses related to legal conferences, the audit details credit card purchases by Cassidy for what appear to be personal expenses.

Cassidy charged $910 to his office credit card for two meals, fuel and lodging in Atlanta during a trip to the Peach Bowl in 2005 to watch LSU defeat the University of Miami, 40-3, according to the audit.

Cassidy first said the trip was to attend a legal conference, but then changed his answer when informed that the conference he referenced had not taken place in Atlanta at the time the travel expenses were billed, according to the audit.