Some of Connecticut’s highest-paid officials are not required to record their weekly working hours, sick days and vacation schedules, according to a recently released audit report.
In addition, time sheets, personal calendars or schedules by the state’s attorneys are not required, according to the report issued by the Auditors of Public Accounts.
Nor do policies spell out how to document time worked or leave taken by Chief State’s Attorney Kevin T. Kane, his two top assistants and the 13 state’s attorneys who run the state’s Judicial District courthouses and supervise about 200 prosecutors.
The 19-page audit does not allege abuse, Auditor Robert G. Jaekle said. He emphasized that without such records, the Criminal Justice Commission has little information when state’s attorneys are reappointed.
Kane said last week that he is working with the state Department of Administrative Services and the Office of Policy and Management to develop guidelines for keeping attendance records. He said he’s developing an accountability plan.
“It’s a little bit complicated, historically because we’re all appointed,” he said. “We always are involved in giving advice and direction to the police.”
Jaekle said that prosecutors previously have claimed they are constitutional officers who don’t have to account for their time.
But following demands for greater openness following the resignation of Gov. John G. Rowland in 2004 in a corruption scandal, the Judicial Branch has opened attendance records of hundreds of judges to public scrutiny.
“This is just good, basic sound business practices,” said Jaekle, who is one of the state’s two chief auditors. “These are highly paid professionals and there should be documentation that people are putting in the required hours. The system, the environment should be put in place, so if there were problems they could be addressed in short order.”
Acting Chief Justice David M. Borden ordered the release of judges’ attendance records last year following the admission by then-Chief Justice William J. Sullivan that he delayed the release of a decision to help another justice succeed him.
“We are taking the same position with the state’s attorneys as we did with the judges, in favor of accountability to the taxpayers who are paying their salaries,” Jaekle said.
