Missouri auditor investigates source of faulty masks given to first responders
Earlier this month, Missouri’s public safety director announced that 48,000 KN95 masks distributed to first responders around the state had been recalled.
State Auditor Nicole Galloway is now pressing Sandra Karsten, director of Missouri’s Department of Public Safety, for answers.
Galloway sent a letter to Karsten’s office Wednesday requesting she provide information about how the faulty masks were distributed, including which local fire and police agencies received them and how many were given to each.
During the coroanvirus pandemic, which has killed 147 people in Missouri, personal protective equipment such as masks, has been in high demand. Medical workers and first responders have warned that such equipment is in short supply.
The auditor is also calling on Karsten to reveal which vendor provided the recalled masks, how they were paid for, and what safety evaluation they underwent before they were distributed.
The auditor requested that Karsten respond to her by April 22 and also include information on how Missouri taxpayers can be “made whole” for the cost of the personal protective equipment.
“As our state faces this unprecedented challenge, the safety of our first responders should be our first priority,” Galloway said in a statement Thursday. “I am committed to making certain those on the frontlines of this health emergency are protected while ensuring Missourians’ tax dollars are safeguarded.”
Galloway, a Democrat running for governor against incumbent Republican Gov. Mike Parson, announced last month that her office would be looking into the state’s distribution of federal stimulus funding amid the coronavirus crisis.
The auditor’s office began requesting information related to state agencies’ response efforts on April 7.
