Former St Louis prosecutor Kim Gardner spent hundreds of work hours on nursing degree, scathing audit finds
Former St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner failed "to make her job as circuit attorney her top priority," according to a report.
Republican Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick released a 71-page report on Tuesday, as well as a press release, that supported a previous statement of Gardner being the captain of a "rudderless ship of chaos" as she pursued a nurse practitioner certification during the hours she should have been doing her job.
The former Democratic prosecutor spent 34.5 working days, or about seven weeks, in the office during business hours working on her studies at Saint Louis University, the state auditor's office said in the statement.
"In my view, the driving force was Kim Gardner’s failure to make her job as circuit attorney her top priority," Fitzpatrick told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
His review also found widespread staff turnover, misuse of public funds and a significant drop in cases filed, referred and closed before Gardner resigned under fire in 2023.
Other issues cited in the audit include more than $58,000 in public funds spent on flowers, a disc jockey, car detailing, an office picnic, a chili cookout and Gardner's personal legal expenses.
FORMER SOROS-BACKED ST. LOUIS PROSECUTOR ADMITS TO MISUSING PUBLIC FUNDS
Gardner told auditors that she was pursuing a family nurse practitioner post-master’s certificate "to improve the office and bring mental health awareness" to the office.
She was part of a movement of progressive prosecutors who sought diversion to mental health treatment or drug abuse treatment for low-level crimes, pledged to hold police more accountable and sought to free incarcerated people who were wrongfully convicted.
Republican leaders often criticized Gardner for a low homicide conviction rate, among other concerns. She frequently butted heads with police and conservatives.
"Our audit report paints a clear picture of an office that was far better off before Kim Gardner took over and has quickly rebounded after her departure. Despite her efforts to stand in the way of the audit process, we were able to obtain the information necessary to give taxpayers the full story on the damage she did to the office," Fitzpatrick said in a statement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.