LOS ANGELES COUNTY : Dixon’s $6-Million Office Renovation Spurs Inquiry

County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn on Friday ordered the county auditor-controller’s office to investigate a controversial $6-million project to refurbish the offices of Chief Administrative Officer Richard B. Dixon.

Last week, a report by the county grand jury found that Dixon’s staff had discarded nearly all records of the project’s expenditures. Auditors also found that Dixon failed to report that his office spent $1.4 million on furniture, twice the amount reported to the Board of Supervisors.

The grand jury report also raised questions about the independence of the auditor-controller’s office and its close links to Dixon. Michael Galindo, director of the auditor-controller’s auditing branch, said Friday that he will not participate in the investigation because he shares a residence with Mary Jung, Dixon’s second-in-command.

The Board of Supervisors has scheduled a hearing on the grand jury audit of Dixon’s office for July 21.