Complaint From Former Cal-OSHA Official Alleges Misuse of Funds
On Tuesday, a former top official with the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health filed a whistleblower complaint with the state auditor saying the agency that oversees Cal-OSHA has mismanaged state and federal funds, KPCC's "KPCC News" reports.
Garret Brown, former special assistant to the director of Cal-OSHA, asked for a forensic audit of how the Department of Industrial Relations used funding allocated for the worker protection agency.
In the complaint, Brown said that he has "deep concern[s] about improper, possibly illegal, diversion by [DIR] of federal and state funds."
He added, "Only trained accountants familiar with state operations and procedures will be able to penetrate what has been an opaque 'black box.'"
Specifically, Brown alleges that the agency has mishandled millions of dollars allocated for Cal-OSHA. He said the funds, instead, are going to pay for other things such as rent for an empty office space.
DIR spokesperson Peter Melton declined to discuss the whistleblower complaint, and the state's auditor's office did not respond to a request for comment (Foshay, "KPCC," KPCC News, 4/1).
This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.