The St. Louis County Council is calling for an investigation of the county prosecutor’s office — and the new prosecutor is thankful for it.
The council passed a resolution Tuesday night requesting the Missouri state auditor’s office look into practices in the office that “may be leading to waste, fraud, and/or abuse.”
Melissa Price Smith, the new St. Louis County prosecuting attorney, spoke at the meeting to express gratitude for the measure, which was introduced by District 7 Councilman Mark Harder.
“I’m in full support of this,” she said. “It will help me to understand what’s going on in the office in terms of finances, personnel, [and] compliance with Sunshine Requests, which will also help me to be transparent with this council as well as the public.”
The council’s resolution authorizes an initial investigation by the auditor’s office that is smaller in scope than a full audit. Harder said the findings could lead to a recommendation for a full audit of the office, which the council would consider separately. Councilwoman Lisa Clancy cited other state audit investigations costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, but Harder clarified that a preliminary investigation will come at no cost to taxpayers.
Smith was sworn in last week to replace Wesley Bell, who was elected to Congress. She said she had asked for an audit upon taking office.
The resolution was passed the same day Missouri Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick released the findings of a yearslong audit of the St. Louis circuit attorney’s office under Kim Gardner, concluding the former top prosecutor misused office funds and spent working hours taking nursing classes.
