Four Arkansas health department employees improperly paid with AIDS funds

An Arkansas health department audit has determined that four employees were inappropriately paid a total of $17,566.66 through an AIDS division travel expense account. The nonprofit Fort Smith Fights AIDS, which receives federal money via the health department, had access to the account. But the account was designed for FSFA and similar organizations, not for health department employees. According to the audit, the outstanding money was used to pay for travel costs for which FSFA had no receipts. Rick Hogan, chief counsel for the health department, said it appears as though the four employees circumvented the department's system to access the money. "It's not that the process was necessarily flawed," said Hogan. "It's that the process wasn't followed." (AP)