ST. LOUIS—The FBI and the state auditor’s office have been asked to investigate reports of corruption in the St. Louis city Building Division after one inspector resigned and a second was put on leave.

The first inspector resigned after St. Louis Magazine reported that he had ties to two construction companies that had been paid more than $2.3 million by the city with federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.

The inspector reportedly had supervision over the two city programs used to distribute the money.

Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Tishaura Jones’ office announced that she had learned Monday of allegations involving another city building division inspector, who has been placed on a forced leave.

A Department of Public Safety investigation was already underway involving the first inspector, according to the mayor's office. Tuesday, Jones released letters sent Monday to the FBI and the state auditor’s office asking for outside investigations.

“It is critical that we get to the bottom of this broader issue immediately. While we take every action we can internally to hold wrongdoers accountable, St. Louisans deserve to know that this problem is being fully investigated,” she wrote. “That is why I am now reaching out to request your office’s assistance in conducting an external audit of our Building Division. Our city residents have a right to know that allegations of corruption are acted upon swiftly and that any bad actors are removed.”

“We take this very seriously and we will not shy away from addressing this issue. We are tasked with being responsible stewards of taxpayer money, and public trust is essential to good governance,” a Jones spokesperson said Tuesday.

Under civil service rules, a city employee put on forced leave pending an investigation must be paid during that time period.