Dallas County Prosecutors Must Return $112K In Federal Funds

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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — A review finds the Dallas County District Attorney's Office misspent $112,000 from federal forfeiture accounts and must repay the money.

The U.S. Department of Justice audited the forfeiture fund controlled by Craig Watkins, who in November lost his re-election bid. Expenditures under current District Attorney Susan Hawk weren't reviewed.

Forfeiture accounts are funded from criminal investigations. The audit involved nearly $900,000 spent from 2011 to 2013.

The audit found more than $100,000 was improperly spent on state bar dues. Many employers pay bar dues for their attorneys, but the audit said the DA's office should not have used federal funds. According to television news reports, the DA's office has reimbursed the federal fund for the dues by using money from state forfeiture funds.

Watkins didn't immediately return a message for comment Thursday.

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