When the government investigates it self, usually one of two things happen
1) The government finds it did absolutely noting wrong. Well other then some minor trivial things.
2) The government finds a convenient scapegoat to blame everything on and fires the scapegoat, while saying all the other government bureaucrats did nothing wrong.
My guess is that Valley Metro will use Stephen Banta as the scape goat, since he has already resigned and blame everything on him.
Stephen Banta is the Valley Metro CEO who has been using our tax dollars on $500 a night hotel rooms in Europe and $500 meals on business trips.
Stephen Banta was being paid $264,493 until he resigned as a result of the Arizona Republic investigation. He also got a $25,000 bonus in August.
But don't expect the sh*tty Valley Metro bus service to improve. The bus I take every day is usually late. Today it was 8 minutes late. Yesterday it was 5 minutes late, on Monday it was 20 minute late.
Phoenix orders audit of Valley Metro's finances
Craig Harris, The Republic | azcentral.com 9:38 p.m. MST December 1, 2015
Valley Metro board member Steve Gallardo believes a full criminal investigation is warranted
Phoenix will conduct a financial audit of Valley Metro after two board members called for investigations of employee travel and expenses at the county's bus and light-rail agency.
The move comes after The Arizona Republic found numerous expense-account irregularities for CEO Stephen Banta, who announced last week that he would step down in January. The move came as The Republic prepared to publish findings that he was reimbursed with public funds for flying first class, staying at expensive hotels and buying alcohol — the latter a violation of a Valley Metro policy that he imposed.
Phoenix City Councilwoman Thelda Williams, who sits on the two transit boards that oversee Banta and his agency, called Tuesday for a formal city audit of Valley Metro's travel and expenses from January 2010 to present. That period coincides with Banta's tenure as the top executive of Valley Metro's light-rail and transit systems. The two transit entities are run by separate boards of elected officials from across Maricopa County.
City Manager Ed Zuercher said an audit would begin "as soon as possible."
Valley Metro spokeswoman Hillary Foose said the agency will be fully cooperative.
Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo, another board member, said he will call for an independent audit of Valley Metro's employee travel and expenses. Gallardo said he supports having the state auditor general conduct the investigation.
"We owe it to the taxpayers," Gallardo said. "Sunlight is the best disinfectant."
Williams said in a letter to Zuercher that Phoenix's audit should focus on organizational controls, oversight and accountability measures for the future. She noted Phoenix should take the lead because the city is the federally designated recipient of federal transit grants and is the largest participant in both regional transit systems.
Since The Republic first reported on the spending irregularities, the newspaper has found five additional instances which Banta, over the past two years, was reimbursed with public funds for expensive meals he reported having with guests who told The Republic they didn’t attend.
In total, The Republic found Banta was reimbursed $2,243 in public funds for nine dinners around the country at which the guests he claimed to be entertaining on behalf of Valley Metro say they didn't attend.The meals ranged from $121 to $477.
Banta on Tuesday did not return calls and messages. Foose said, "For anything further on the dinners, please consult with Steve Banta directly following the Thursday board meeting."
The Valley Metro boards have scheduled a special meeting Thursday at the agency's downtown Phoenix headquarters to seek legal advice regarding Banta's employment.
Gallardo said that if an audit finds that criminal activity occurred, the information should be turned over to law enforcement for prosecution.
He also said the boards, which unanimously approved a $25,000 bonus for Banta in August, should place him on administrative leave in order to give auditors independent access to files and Valley Metro employees. Banta's annual pay is $264,493, according to Valley Metro records.
Gallardo said he and fellow board members are to blame for not adequately monitoring Banta's spending.
"All of us have a level of public shaming, as we are responsible," said Gallardo, who joined the 16-member transit board this year. "We have a fiduciary responsibility to make sure this doesn't happen again."