A scathing audit revealed that former St Louis prosecutor Kim Gardner spent hundreds of work hours on a nursing degree.
An audit revealed that St Louis' Kim Gardner spent approximately 7 weeks preparing for nursing certification while simultaneously working.
According to a report, Kimberly Gardner, the former St. Louis Circuit Attorney, did not prioritize her job as circuit attorney.
On Tuesday, Republican Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick released a 71-page report and a press release, reiterating his previous statement that Gardner was the captain of a "rudderless ship of chaos" while pursuing a nurse practitioner certification during work hours.
The state auditor's office stated that the former Democratic prosecutor worked for 34.5 working days, which is equivalent to seven weeks, in the office during business hours while studying at Saint Louis University.
According to Fitzpatrick, the driving force was Kim Gardner's lack of prioritization of her role as circuit attorney.
Gardner resigned in 2023 after his review revealed widespread staff turnover, misuse of public funds, and a significant drop in cases filed, referred, and closed.
The audit found that more than $58,000 in public funds were spent on various expenses, including flowers, a disc jockey, car detailing, an office picnic, a chili cookout, and Gardner's personal legal expenses.
Gardner informed auditors that she was seeking a family nurse practitioner post-master's certificate to enhance the office and promote mental health awareness.
She was a member of a group of forward-thinking prosecutors who advocated for diverting low-level offenders to mental health or drug treatment programs, promised to hold law enforcement accountable, and worked to release innocent individuals from prison.
Gardner frequently faced criticism from Republican leaders due to her low homicide conviction rate and her frequent disagreements with police and conservatives.
"Our audit report reveals that the office's condition improved significantly after Kim Gardner left, despite her attempts to hinder the audit process. We were able to obtain the necessary information to expose the damage she caused to taxpayers," Fitzpatrick stated.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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