Overview
- Attorney General Kris Mayes said Tuesday she has opened a public-monies investigation into the ESA program and litigation remains possible.
- Reports cited by Mayes describe voucher dollars used for items such as lingerie, jewelry, high-end resorts and other noneducational purchases.
- Superintendent Tom Horne denies wrongdoing, noting prepayment audits for purchases over $2,000, risk-based reviews under that threshold and more than $400,000 recovered.
- Horne says his office has closed about 700 accounts for misuse and blames limited staffing, with roughly 15 auditors overseeing about 97,000 students and audits that can take up to two years.
- Horne accuses Mayes of declining some referrals totaling about $158,000, while her office says those cases did not meet charging standards and notes eight active investigations and two cases pending review.