Georgia Democrats are calling for an investigation following a state audit that raised concerns about possible circumvention of state contracting requirements by Governor Brian Kemp’s administration, potentially for political purposes.
The investigation’s leadership remains uncertain, as it is unclear which state or federal agencies will take charge. Democrats have not yet made a formal request for an investigation.
The Georgia Department of Human Services signed a $1.1 billion contract to distribute debit cards to recipients of direct benefits, such as Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. This contract was brought to attention in a review conducted by the Georgia Department of Audits & Accounts in January.
During a virtual media conference, state Rep. Tanya Miller, D-Atlanta, raised concerns about the potential misuse of federal funds or the mishandling of the distribution process. She highlighted that when an individual government agency receives federal funds, there are specific rules and guidelines in place to ensure their proper utilization. This prompts the question of whether there may have been any violations or irregularities in the allocation of these funds.
Miller acknowledged the legitimacy of the question and pointed out that there are various criminal investigative offices that could potentially have jurisdiction over the matter.
The Senate Appropriations Committee commissioned a “special examination” to delve into state purchasing and competitive bidding practices. The examination revealed that, for the most part, purchases align with state competitive bidding requirements, with a few exceptions. It was suggested that providing further guidance and conducting audits could potentially reduce the number of noncompliant purchases.
According to the audit, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget (OPB) directly shared a solicitation document with four potential suppliers. Out of the four, three suppliers submitted their proposals. The audit found that the review and scoring of these proposals followed a standard process, involving a panel of DHS and OPB staff members, to determine the winning proposal.
According to the audit, the state’s competitive bidding requirements usually call for a request for proposal process that spans four to six months. In this instance, the solicitation document for this program was made available on Aug. 25, and the supplier was chosen on Sept. 1.
Democrats swiftly seized upon the discovery.
State Senator Elena Parent, a Democrat from Atlanta, highlighted during the briefing that the Kemp administration seemed to have ulterior motives. Instead of adhering to state law, the audit revealed that the administration handpicked a few vendors to request bids from. What’s more concerning is that they swiftly selected a vendor for the $1.1 billion project within just seven days.