An Arizona lawmaker has repaid the state more than $12,000 in travel reimbursements. House Speaker David Gowan owed money for trips he took in state vehicles and for days he said he worked, but did not.
Last month, The Arizona Capitol Times published an analysis of the increasing use of state fleet vehicles by top Republican lawmakers and their staff. After the report came out, Gowan asked House staff to look at his personal mileage claims for discrepancies.
A House Republican caucus spokeswoman broke down the numbers to the Capitol Times: About $9,600 was owed for claiming miles using a state vehicle, not his personal vehicle. More than $700 was repaid for using a state vehicle for personal business.
Under state law, doing so is a Class 2 misdemeanor. The remaining monies were for per diem payments made to Gowan on days he did not work.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
