A scathing new audit of Chelsea Housing Authority reveals that disgraced housing director Michael E. McLaughlin may have misused as much as $1.5 million in federal funds set aside for the low-income people the authority serves.
In its report, the independent auditing firm Hurley O’Neill & Company highlights a series of questionable expenditures that suggest McLaughlin was raiding funds that were supposed to be used to maintain the buildings to pay everyday expenses, and subsidizing higher salaries for himself and key lieutenants.
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It took the involvement of a lot of people for McLaughlin to accomplice this. Is he the only one being investigated?
My thoughts exactly ... lets start with the CPA who submitted 10 years of clean audits on this authority only to be "shocked" at McLaughlins salary ? Are you serious ? I am shocked that we did not start this whole investigation looking at the auditor !
Great reporting Mr. Murphy.
What really frosts me is that there were honest, diligent, qualified folks out there who were passed over for the Exec. Director position who were left to struggle in their careers while this guy pillaged the public trough for his own benefit.
Absolutely sinful that McLaughlin was allowed so much power. Shame on Gov. Patrick for not keeping watch on this crap. I'm sure this is happening all over the state and the taxpayers get the brunt of this shameful mismanagement.
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There are plenty of Michael E. McLaughlin types around eager to game the system. Remember, he was "allowed" to do so in that there was no detection for many years. The fix is fixing the system.
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Funny, this Globe spotlight has shone on many people relative to pension scandals, and yet Governor Patrick didn't mention any of them in his speech...
Wouldn't the IRS and Mass Dept of Revenue like to take a peek at this lastest audit. How is it that the payroll of a public employee is not known - not only by those that oversee the authority but we are to believe the AUDITOR did not know? Was this payroll not reported on monthly and quarterly wage reports . I mean , there are quarterly reports filed that lists the name of the employee, the SS# , the taxes withheld and the salary paid etc - quarterly. It should be clear who makes what and is not too difficult to see. Unless these checks were drawn but not reported as payroll .. then what were they charged to ? There had to be a whole lot of people with their hands in this jar . I wish, for once - we would see a strong example be made of people that abuse the system like this ... this is out and out theft of taxpayer money and we need to GET SERIOUS to end this crap . We should treat these thieves like we do those caught selling drugs ... All assets purchased with this money are confiscated regardless of whose name they are in ... spouse , kids etc.