EDITORIAL: No cigar for record-keeping
Times-Picayune (excerpt)

Thomas "Tommy'' Henry charged $383,073 on the Louisiana High School Athletic Association's credit card during his final years as commissioner, charges he made without providing any documentation to show how they benefited the organization. Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera criticized the lax practices. Mr. Henry's failure to maintain receipts may have violated the state law on record retention, the audit said. It also meant that LHSAA couldn't tell whether Mr. Henry's spending was reasonable, necessary or of any use to the organization, the report said. Expenditures that don't serve a valid business purpose may violate the state Constitution, which prohibits the donation of public funds, the audit said. That's worrisome, because the audit suggests Mr. Henry spent quite lavishly on himself. From June 2005 to October 2007, he used the American Express card issued by the association to rack up $51,000 in purchases at cigar outlets. He spent another $13,000 on clothing, $20,694 on golf fees and equipment and $29,565 on non-travel related dining.