SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on the hearing on an audit of the University of California (all times local):
6 p.m.
University of California President Janet Napolitano is apologizing for the way her office handled an audit that found UC administrators hid $175 million from the public while tuition increased.
State lawmakers who questioned Napolitano at a hearing on Tuesday said they were deeply troubled by the auditor’s finding that the UC president’s office tried to interfere with the investigation.
State auditor Elaine Howle told lawmakers that Napolitano’s office sought to edited responses to audit questions from individual UC campuses.
Napolitano told lawmakers that she coordinated responses to ensure they were accurate. She says she’s sorry for the decision because it’s become a distraction.
Napolitano says her office has only $38 million in reserves, not $175 million, but she agrees her office should keep clearer budget records.
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4:20 p.m.
Lawmakers say they are “deeply troubled” by the state auditor’s finding that the University of California president’s office tried to interfere with her investigation.
State auditor Elaine Howle told lawmakers Tuesday that she faced an unprecedented lack of cooperation from the UC president’s office while it was under audit. Howle detailed efforts by the president’s office to edit responses from individual UC campuses to auditors’ questions.
The audit found UC administrators hid $175 million from the public while the university system raised tuition and asked lawmakers for more money.
UC President Janet Napolitano has disputed the audit’s findings. She is scheduled to face questions from lawmakers later during the legislative hearing.
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3:35 p.m.
California Republican lawmakers are asking for the Democratically-controlled Legislature to subpoena records after auditors recently reported that the University of California system hid millions of dollars from the public.
Several Republicans in the state Assembly say they want to subpoena financial records and communications related to $175 million in undisclosed surplus money identified by the audit.
Assemblywoman Catharine Baker said Tuesday that the UC system is not putting students first in its budgeting. The Bay Area Republican says she is particularly concerned by the audit’s finding that the UC president’s office tried to interfere with the audit.
UC President Janet Napolitano is scheduled to face questions from lawmakers at a hearing Tuesday. Several Democratic lawmakers said at the start of the hearing that they were troubled by the audit’s findings.
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12:30 p.m.
California lawmakers are scheduled to question University of California President Janet Napolitano about an audit that found the university system hid $175 million from the public.
Lawmakers on Tuesday will hold a hearing on the audit released last week. State Auditor Elaine Howle says in the report that UC administrators amassed undisclosed surplus money even as the UC raised tuition and asked the state for more funding.
Napolitano has disputed the audit’s findings. She says there is actually $38 million in reserves. She has described the money as a modest amount set aside for unexpected expenses.
The UC Board of Regents in January voted to increase tuition and fees $336 next academic year. Some lawmakers called for a reversal of the tuition hike in the wake of the audit.
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