Members of state Senate Finance Committee want answers in connection with the routergate controversy.
Several senators asked questions of Department of Administration Secretary Ross Taylor during a Tuesday afternoon meeting at the state capitol.
A recent report from the Legislative Auditor’s office shows the state spent $24 million in federal stimulus money on 1,164 Cisco routers when smaller, less expensive routers would have done the job.
“It’s such an embarrassment to our state and especially to us legislators when we go back home and people want to know how we can wast (24) million dollars like this,” Sen. Doug Facemire, D-Braxton, said.
Secretary Taylor explained some of what happened.
“A lot of the decision at this time was under a previous administration and the individual that was overseeing a lot of the process is no longer here,” Taylor said.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s Chief of Staff Rob Alsop then entered the meeting room and explained the legislative audit and federal review of the purchase to committee members. He also promised to get answers to their other questions.
Sen. Facemire says it’s frustrating.
“No one can really tell us what happened. Someone needs to stand up and say, ‘This is what happened,’ that’s all we’re wanting,” Facemire said. “How did something of this magnitude happen?”