FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Office of the Auditor of Public Accounts will conduct a special audit of both the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund and the Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund in an effort to address any problems in the programs.
The examination will look into the Public Protection Cabinet’s handling of the money and the expenditures associated with both funds. The state auditor's office said they'll cover the period from Dec. 11, 2021 through June 30, 2023.
The audit is the result of a request by the co-chairs of the Legislative Oversight and Investigations Committee, Rep. Adam Bowling, R-Middlesboro, and Sen. Bradon Storm, R-London. In a written response to the committee co-chairs, Assistant State Auditor Farah Petter said the APA would issue, “a report that describes any weaknesses or deficiencies identified and offer recommendations to strengthen and improve internal controls and procedures.”
According to Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., over $52 million came into the tornado relief fund. Here’s how he said some of the money was spent:
- Over $18 million was pledged to build and repair 300 homes
- Over $9 million went to help insured and uninsured homeowners and renters
- $10 million in $1,000 checks went to survivors
- $4 million went to farmers
- $810,000 was used for funeral expenses
The governor’s office said over $13 million was donated to help after eastern Kentucky flooding:
- Over $4 million in $500 checks to survivors
- Over $1 million was committed for building new homes and repairing others
- $440,000 paid for funeral expenses
The rest of the money was to be used to build homes in new high-ground communities.
Beshear defended the transparency of the relief funds in his weekly Team Kentucky news conference.
"The Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund and the Western Tornado Relief Fund are the most transparent disaster recovery funds that I’ve ever seen," he said. "Each of them is subject to open records. We have produced every single document and every single transaction, not just to the General Assembly but also multiple members of the press and the public."
The governor also noted that his office had testified in front of the legislature about the fund expenditures and signed a law requiring regular reporting to the General Assembly on the funds.
State lawmakers called for an audit of the relief funds earlier this year after reports surfaced of relief checks sent to people unaffected by the disasters.
The auditor’s office said it will bill the Public Protection Cabinet for the audit, and will not use relief funds. There’s no set date on when the examination will be completed.
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