SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Utah State University has seen turmoil in the athletic department, controversy over a transgender student placed in a women’s dorm suite, changes at the top of its leadership, and now an audit into questionable spending—approved just this week by state legislative leaders.
"The allegations are coming from whistleblowers,” said Kade Minchey, Utah Legislative Auditor General, “people within and outside the institution."
In an interview with KUTV on Friday, Minchey said the spending under scrutiny is “either in the hundreds of thousands or it's millions."
Auditors conducted a "survey assessment" at USU and said they found expenditures on "presidential motor vehicle assets" shot up during the tenure or former President Elizabeth Cantwell, who left the school last winter after 18 months, to oversee six campuses in the Washington State University system.
"Over the past two years, purchase card transactions with the (USU) President's Office have significantly increased compared to the previous five years," according to preliminary auditor findings.
Cache Valley Daily reported records showed nearly $300,000 was spent to remodel the president's office and Champ Hall, which the site said included $184,000 for furniture and a $750 toilet with a bidet.
Also, according to Cache Valley Daily, records showed Cantwell had a 2023 Toyota Highlander and a nearly $30,000 “street legal” electrical vehicle.
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