DC government under audit for possible misuse of federal funds to combat drug epidemic

The U.S. government has started an audit of the Washington, D.C., government over its use of federal grants intended to combat the opioid crisis.

Here's what we know

District officials were notified of the audit by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Over the past two years, the District of Columbia has received $4 million in funds from SAMHSA.

In December, the Washington Post reported that the D.C. city government had misspent millions of dollars worth of federal grants. According to this report, D.C. handed out fewer doses of lifesaving overdose antidote naloxone than "other cities with comparable opioid problems." During this time period, D.C. saw "the highest increase in overdose deaths among urban areas," according to the Post, citing CDC data.

The Post also noted the case of a medical provider who was given a $1.46 million contract in federal grant money but failed to treat anyone for addiction.

The D.C. government has said that it has nothing to hide. On Tuesday, D.C. Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Wayne Turnage told the Post:

In confronting this epidemic, we obviously value our partnership with SAMHSA and welcome the review and feedback as we continue to seek opportunities to better leverage federal grants and effectively serve District residents.

TheBlaze reached out to SAMHSA for clarification but was told that it was the administration's policy "not to discuss an ongoing financial audit."

According to the Post, the audit will "focus on grant money that was not spent as intended to combat the opioid epidemic as well as federally funded programs that D.C. government officials failed to implement."

The audit will also look at plans the city government has come up with regarding $21 million in additional grant money to combat opioid addiction that it expected to receive in 2019.