The Connecticut Department of Agriculture paid out nearly $1 million to contractors “without confirming the services were provided and receiving contractually required documentation,” and failed to get competitive bids for $244,000 in contracted “multimedia” services, according to a report from state auditors.
According to the audit, which covered 2021, 2022, and 2023, the Department paid out $958,117 across five contracts for services during the COVID-19 pandemic that were not documented or confirmed.
“Contracts for the Connecticut Corona Virus Relief Fund Food Distribution program require that reimbursement shall be paid only for actual expenditures incurred after receiving detailed invoices with supporting documentation,” the audit report stated.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government provided $16 billion in nationwide relief to farmers and producers due to supply chain losses, and another $3 billion so local distributors could provide fresh food to food banks and other charitable organizations offering food for those in need.
In 2021, Gov. Ned Lamont directed $10 million from the COVID relief funds to support the dairy and aquaculture industries in Connecticut and provided “additional funds” so that Connecticut grown food would be distributed through various food programs, including “Foodshare’s drive through distribution.”
Furthermore, the audit also found the department did not get competitive bids for multimedia services through the “statewide contract for media, marketing, and public relations,” which requires three quotes from listed contractors for any contract over $5,000, and that the department did not approve a P-Card billing statement of $3,558. P-Cards are credit cards provided to public officials for the use of state business only.
“Without properly supported and detailed invoices or confirming expenditure prices to the contracts, DoAg could pay contractors more than the contracted rates or pay for services the contractor did not provide,” the auditors wrote. “Without proper purchasing card approvals, there is less assurance that DoAg made purchases for legitimate state business and complied with purchasing policies.”
Furthermore, the department’s twelve councils and working groups either did not post accurate meeting schedules to the Secretary of State’s website, did not meet at all, or did not post meeting minutes, all of which are violations of the state Freedom of Information Act.
According to the department’s website, the Domestic Animal Control Working Group hasn’t posted minutes since June 2019; the Dog Licensing Working Group hasn’t posted anything since September 2022; there are no written minutes, and the Animal Population Control Working Group hasn’t posted meeting minutes or agendas since August 2019.
The Dog Licensing Working Group was established by the legislature in 2022 to examine the feasibility of creating a statewide online dog licensing system to relieve pressure on municipalities, resulting in a bill proposal in 2023 that never made it to a vote.
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in CT Agriculture Working Group hasn’t posted meeting minutes since 2022, although it did produce an update report in January 2025 indicating the working group met until June 2023 and released a list of recommendations.
“When boards, councils, and working groups do not meet and did not comply with freedom of information requirements, the public cannot stay informed or participate in meetings,” the auditors wrote. “A lack of administrative oversight contributed to this condition.”
The Department agreed with the auditors’ findings on both issues, indicating they will comply with all “applicable procurement laws” related to contracting services, and they will post meeting agendas and minutes, or indicate which groups and boards are no longer active.
The auditors also found the department failed to approve timesheets and overtime for some employees, including one employee who worked 325 hours of overtime across “42 consecutive days.”
The Department indicated this instance was because the manager who would normally approve the employees’ overtime took an unplanned medical leave and then retired “unexpectedly.”
“The employee worked the time and had been verbally approved for overtime by their manager before their departure,” the Department wrote in its response.
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