State investigators are reviewing the West Virginia Water Development Authority's use of a state-issued purchasing card dating back to 2012.
The water authority turned over the monthly "P-card" statements Friday to the state Legislature's Commission on Special Investigations. Investigators sent a letter to the water board Oct. 11, requesting six monthly statements that the water agency omitted in its previous response to a July records request from the commission.
"The materials were hand-delivered Friday," said Chris Jarrett, executive director of the water authority.
The agency's board of directors received a brief update on the investigation during a meeting Wednesday in Charleston.
The purchasing card review is part of a larger investigation into spending and hiring practices at the water authority, which issues bonds that fund water and sewer projects across West Virginia.
Last summer, investigators sent a two-page letter to the water authority, requesting numerous documents about temporary workers, board members, current employees and miscellaneous purchases.
The Gazette-Mail has reported that the water authority has hired temporary workers and provided them with perks such as paid holidays, sick-leave and the use of state-owned vehicles.
In addition to the purchasing card statements, investigators also directed the water authority to turn over a receipt for a $300 purchase at Best Buy in 2012. The purchased item wasn't disclosed.
Investigators also requested federal tax forms for three temporary workers at the water agency.
Those documents also were provided to investigators on Friday, agency officials said.
Jarrett told board members Wednesday that the agency would have only three temp workers by next week. One temp worker left last week, while another departs Friday.
Earlier this year, Jarrett ordered a wiretapping sweep of the Water Development Authority office amid allegations of secret recordings. Charleston police conducted the search for hidden listening devices at the agency's building near Fazio's Italian Restaurant. No wiretaps were found, according to agency employees.
Reach Eric Eyre at ericeyre@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-4869 or follow @ericeyre on Twitter.