$22,000 was spent on a 'gathering' for state employees that included pony rides and airbrush tattoos

(WFSB) – Taxpayers paid for state employees and their families to get airbrush tattoos and pony rides. A state audit released Oct. 30 describes the event as possible misuse of funds by the state Division of Public Defender Services. The agency spent $22,561 on its 2023 annual meeting.

The I-team first reported on this event in October 2023, and this is reflected in this new report exactly how much money was spent.

According to the audit, the “gathering” included an airbrush tattoo station, pony rides, rowboats and pickleball. Only 45 minutes were spent on work-related training. According to the report, 142 of those present were employees. The remaining 198 people were family members. In total, the state paid $12,000 for out-of-state workers to attend the event.

The event took place in the summer of 2023 in Holiday Hills. Then-chief public defender Tashun Bowden-Lewis was formally reprimanded in part for signing the contract to host the event. Bowden-Lewis was subsequently fired in June 2024, accused of a number of matters, including inappropriate behavior towards employees, and refusing to cooperate fairly with the committee that oversaw her. Bowden-Lewis has since filed a federal lawsuit against the state, accusing it of committing discrimination.

The audit describes the agency’s response as concurring with the finding that taxpayer dollars should be spent primarily on work-related purposes. According to the report, the agency’s 2024 annual meeting had reverted to a training day for division employees only.

There were a number of other findings during the audit. You can read the full report HERE.