Louisiana has more than doubled the budget of the Office of Inspector General, increasing funding from $2.2 million to $5.5 million for the fiscal year that began July 1 after Gov. Jeff Landry appointed Angele Davis as inspector general in January, Louisiana Illuminator reports.
Davis, who previously served as a contractor for Landry’s Fiscal Responsibility Program, plans to spend $3 million on outside contractors to identify ways to reduce state government spending.
The expanded effort builds on Landry’s Fiscal Responsibility Program, or “LA DOGE,” which the governor and Davis claim generated $1 billion in savings. However, the administration has not released detailed documentation showing where those savings came from, including a comprehensive list of reduced or eliminated government contracts.
The program also faced criticism for meeting privately and allegedly violating state transparency laws before continuing its work through the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s office.
Last week, Landry launched the Louisiana Taxpayer Protection Initiative, which Davis will lead under expanded authority granted to the inspector general this year. The initiative will coordinate with federal partners, use artificial intelligence and other technology to detect fraud and government waste, and require several agencies overseeing public assistance programs to appoint liaisons.
Louisiana Illuminator has the full story.
