Waste of the Day: Alabama Officials Get “Bingo” Bonuses: Audit
Topline: Thirty-eight employees in Greene County, Ala., allegedly received bonuses from a “bingo fund” that the local sheriff is supposed to use to support the county, according to a recent audit from the Alabama Examiners of Public Accounts. The state is now demanding Sheriff Jonathan Benison repay the bonuses and other questionable expenses totaling nearly $5 million.
Key facts: Bingo games face strict regulations in Greene County under state law. They must be organized by a nonprofit, and fees must be paid to the sheriff’s office to “benefit the public good/welfare in general for the citizens of Greene County, to supplement salaries of Sheriff department staff and for other law enforcement purposes.”
Benison collected nearly $13 million in bingo fees from local nonprofits from 2018 to 2024, and used $3.1 million on “incentive payments” for employees that were not eligible to receive them, according to the recent audit. There was no documentation to explain why the payments were made, and Benison failed to appear at a meeting with state officials to offer an explanation, according to the audit.
The largest bonus was $171,400 paid over two years. Another 15 employees received bonuses of more than $100,000.
The sheriff’s office also used $1.2 million from the bingo fund on consultants and attorneys, and nearly $1 million on “merchants, individuals, restaurants, hotels, automotive repair shops, gas stations and grocery stores,” the audit found. The sheriff was able to explain why $371,000 of the expenses were legal, but there were no receipts or other documentation to explain the other charges. They must now be repaid to the state.
Search all federal, state and local salaries and vendor spending with the world’s largest government spending database at OpenTheBooks.com.
Supporting quote: In a press release, Benison said the audit was a result of the state government’s “vendetta” against Greene County.
“Less than a year ago, the litigation waged by the Attorney General for seven years ended with the reaffirmation of my role under the Constitution as the sole regulator of bingo in Greene County,” Benison said. “Now, here we go again: The Examiners of Public Accounts have now issued a report questioning the expenditure of money for, among other things, the scholarships paid to every Greene County high school senior and the payments made to the deputies who protect and serve our county. They should be ashamed.”
Summary: Bingo winners are supposed to shout their victory, but Greene County’s officials may have reasons to stay quiet about their winnings.
The #WasteOfTheDay is brought to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com
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