A New Orleans inspector general report finds the sheriff's expenditures for hotel rooms at the Royal Sonesta last Mardi Gras to be "wasteful and unnecessary."
The sheriff's office spent $18,000 for the rooms, for a total of 90 nights.
When news of the sheriff's use of hotel rooms first became public, the sheriff said LAK9, a dog training company based in Vermilion Parish would cover the cost. But LAK9 said that donation was suggested by someone not employed by their company, and later declined to make the donation, leaving the sheriff's office -- and taxpayers -- footing the bill.
Fifty-three of those room-nights ended up going unused.
David Trautenberg, the former Chief Financial Officer of the sheriff's department, expressed his concerns that the expense was "unnecessary" and "a bad look to the taxpayers" before the sheriff fired Trautenberg.
Inspector General Ed Michel said "it is incumbent upon the OPSO and all recipients of City monies to utilize those funds in a manner that is efficient and effective."
The inspector general went on to say, "our investigation did not focus on the necessity of incurring hotel lodging expenses during Mardi Gras, but rather the concerns raised regarding rooms going unoccupied."
Click here to read the executive summary of the New Orleans Office of Inspector General.