AUSTIN, Texas -- Auditors at the UT Austin Law School found that a former employee embezzled more than one and a half million dollars from the university.

  • Audit found UT Law School defrauded of more than $1.5 million 
  • Jason Shoumaker indicted in 2018
  • Audit brought additional allegations to light 

A newly-released memorandum outlines the findings of the University of Texas at Austin's internal audit on a former facilities director at the School of Law.

Jason Shoumaker was indicted for multiple felony charges, including theft, money laundering, and abuse of official capacity, back in 2018. Those charges are for things he did while he was working for UT. But, the extent of his financial and professional malpractice wasn't clear until the release of this internal memorandum.

Auditors say Shoumaker defrauded the university of nearly $1.6 million through a variety of means. Not only did he make payments to vendors he had personal relationships with, but he also marked up UT's payments for those goods and services. Shoumaker also duplicated payments, split up payments to avoid detection, failed to provide receipts or reasons for transactions, and falsified travel documents and expenses.

Auditors found other misconduct, like operating a side business without completing an annual financial disclosure or conflict of interest statement.

According to the report, Shoumaker hired and traveled with employees with whom he was romantically involved, without telling the university.

Last month, a university provost scolded the dean at the School of Law in a letter, saying the significant lack of oversight allowed Shoumaker's misconduct to go unaddressed for so long.

In a written statement, the School of Law says it'll be taking critical steps and measures to ensure that nothing like this happens again.