Waste
The needless, careless or extravagant expenditure of state funds, incurring of unnecessary expenses, or mismanagement of state resources or property. Waste doesn't necessarily involve private use or personal gain, but almost always signifies poor management decisions, practices or controls.
Examples:
- Purchase of unneeded supplies or equipment
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Purchase of goods at inflated prices
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Failure to reuse or recycle major resources or reduce waste generation
Abuse
The intentional, wrongful or improper use or destruction of state resources, or seriously improper practice that does not involve prosecutable fraud. Abuse can include the excessive or improper use of an employee's or official's position in a manner other than its rightful or legal use.
Examples:
- Failure to report damage to state equipment or property
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Using one's position in one state department to gain an advantage over another state resident when conducting personal business in another state department
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Serious abuse of state time such as significant unauthorized time away from work or significant use of state time for personal business
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Abusing the system of travel reimbursement
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Receiving favors for awarding contracts to certain vendors