AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Augusta city leaders are ready to make federal case over millions in missing funds.
“This decision should have been made months ago, it’s way overdue it’s time to at least to have the opportunity for our federal agencies to take a look at it to see if there is any criminal wrongdoing. We don’t know,” said Mayor Garnett Johnson.After an audit found nearly $7 million unaccounted for at the city Housing and Development office, commissioners voted to bring in HUD’s Inspector General’s Office to investigate.“Checks were written without supporting invoices or documentation. They cannot find it, the auditors, so we need answers,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Wayne Guilfoyle.Tuesday, commissioners voted to take this big step, but not without some concern that it is an excessive step.“I hate to have an agency come back and tell us what they found was our own sloppy work that we did not correct ourselves,” said Commissioner Lonnie Wimberly. But city leaders say the step shows the willingness to get to the bottom of this multi-million dollar question what happen to the money.“At least now we are moving some direction that hopefully that either vindicates someone from any potential criminal wrongdoing, or if someone has abused some of that money, they need to go to jail,” said Mayor Johnson.The city wants HUD to investigate, but that agency isn’t out any money.After being declared out of compliance last year, the city paid more than $8 million dollars in reimbursement, penalties and interest to HUD…