Texas Governor Greg Abbott has ordered investigations into the finances of Texas Southern University (TSU) after the Texas State Auditor reported major problems in oversight, contracting, and financial reporting involving hundreds of millions of dollars in state funds.
“The Texas State Auditor uncovered significant financial and operational issues with Texas Southern University’s accounting procedures, alleging the potential misappropriation of hundreds of millions of dollars,” said Governor Abbott. “Today, I directed the Texas Rangers to launch an investigation and called on the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts to assist them in their efforts to fully analyze their finances. Waste, fraud, and abuse will not be tolerated. TSU’s Board of Regents and all university officials must fully cooperate with these investigations to ensure taxpayer dollars are not squandered.”
The Governor’s directive comes after concerns raised by the State Auditor regarding possible misuse or mishandling of public money at TSU. The investigation will involve both the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Texas Rangers division and support from the Office of the Comptroller.
Abbott emphasized that cooperation from TSU’s leadership is expected throughout this process as authorities seek to determine if there was any wrongdoing related to state funding at the university.
