ALBANY (AP) -- State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli has accused the state Office for Technology of favoring certain companies in purchases that wasted millions of dollars.
An audit to be released Tuesday says some of the spending was done by officials for personal gain. Those accusations have been referred to the state Joint Commission on Public Ethics.
DiNapoli says the agency responsible for modernizing state government's technology had a systematic breakdown in ethics.
“These officials were supposed to lead New York State’s efforts to modernize technology, but my office found flagrant misconduct and that no one within OFT stepped forward to question these actions, indicating a systemic breakdown in agency ethics,” DiNapoli said in a written statement. “OFT’s executive team needs to take immediate steps to address shortfalls in their organization that lead to this brazen abuse. My office will continue to monitor and scrutinize OFT procurement activity in the foreseeable future to ensure that similar problems do not recur.”
The audit says in one case it wasted at least $1.5 million in state money on a contract that totaled less than $6 million.
Auditors also accuse a former state executive of using his position to get a job for his girlfriend at a company seeking state business.
The comptroller's office audits state and local government operations.
Read the full audit (.pdf)
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