The superintendent of the Recovery School District misused his state-owned vehicle, driving it on personal trips that included dozens of visits to family members in Illinois and along the Gulf Coast, according to an audit released last week.
Paul Vallas used public funds for gasoline on personal trips, and the state paid the insurance claim for an accident that Mr. Vallas had while driving the state-owned Dodge Durango in Illinois, said the report released by Legislative Auditor Steve Theriot.
State administrative code prohibits the use of a state vehicle for personal use. Mr. Vallas said he was told by Louisiana Superintendent of Education Paul G. Pastorek that he could use the car for nonbusiness travel, and Mr. Pastorek told auditors he wasn’t aware of the legal prohibition.
Mr. Vallas no longer drives the state-owned car.
