Alarming Nevada DOT audit exposes $25 million missing

By DOGE NEVADA

The 2024 Nevada DOT Audit revealed shocking problems inside the Department of Transportation. When most Nevada families balance a checkbook or keep track of household bills, every dollar matters. If you lose $25, you notice. If you lose $250, you panic.

So how does the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) manage to misplace $25 million of taxpayer money and just keep on rolling down the road like nothing happened?

The 2024 Legislative Counsel Bureau Audit (Report LA-26-02) revealed massive problems with NDOT’s finances, including millions of dollars that simply cannot be explained. State auditors dug into NDOT’s finances and found major problems — and here’s the kicker: this isn’t the first time.

This comes on top of a 2014 Nevada DOT audit (Report LA-14-23) that already warned about major weaknesses in the agency’s systems, especially in IT and accounting. The state knew a decade ago this agency had holes big enough to drive a semi-truck through.

Instead of fixing the problem, NDOT allowed it to grow worse.

Why the Nevada DOT Scandal Matters

That missing $25 million isn’t just numbers on paper. It could have been used for:

—Repaving miles of Nevada highways

—Installing guardrails and safety barriers

—Expanding lanes to cut traffic congestion

Instead, it’s gone — lost to bad management, sloppy accounting, or possibly outright fraud.

When the Nevada DOT mishandles taxpayer money, it directly impacts Nevada drivers, families, and businesses who rely on safe, well-maintained roads.

Nevada Leadership Refuses to Act

The NDOT Board of Directors is chaired by Governor Joe Lombardo and includes Lt. Governor Stavros Anthony and State Controller Andy Mathews. These are the people with the power to demand accountability.

They had the chance to put the Nevada DOT audit findings on the board’s April 14, 2024 agenda. They refused. No discussion. No transparency. Instead of demanding accountability for the missing millions, Nevada’s top leaders chose silence.

That silence leaves Nevadans asking: Why protect NDOT when taxpayers are being shortchanged?

A Pattern of Waste, Fraud, and Abuse

This is not the first time NDOT has been caught. The 2014 Nevada DOT audit warned about poor IT controls and bad accounting practices. Fast-forward ten years, and the problems are bigger than ever.

If this were a private business, heads would roll. Employees would be fired. Some might even be facing legal consequences. But in government, the cycle of failure gets rewarded. Instead of accountability, there’s cover-up and protection.

Private businesses don’t survive when millions vanish from their books. But in government, failure often gets brushed aside. That’s why waste and fraud continue.

Critics vs. Taxpayers

NDOT defenders say the missing money is just “accounting errors” that will eventually be reconciled, but Nevadans know better. If the state can’t say where the $25 million is today, that means the money isn’t there.

If your bank lost $25,000 and told you, “Don’t worry, your money’s probably somewhere,” would you accept that? Of course not. But that’s exactly the excuse taxpayers are being fed when it comes to NDOT’s missing millions.

Time for Transparency and Accountability

This Nevada DOT audit report is a giant red flag. The question now is whether our elected leaders will actually do something about it. Real accountability would mean:

—A full investigation into where the $25 million went.

—Accountability for NDOT Director Tracy Larkin Thomason.

—Independent oversight to prevent this from happening again.

Without those steps, the missing money becomes just another case of government corruption quietly swept under the rug.

Nevada Taxpayers Deserve the Truth

This scandal is about more than $25 million. It’s about trust.

If NDOT can’t manage taxpayer money, how can Nevadans trust them with billions in future highway funds?

Nevada families live within their means. State government should do the same. Until NDOT explains the missing millions, Nevadans should keep demanding answers.