This story was produced by the Oregon Journalism Project , a nonprofit newsroom covering the state.

The Oregon Department of Transportation has produced a withering review of management and financial practices at the Umpqua Public Transportation District in Douglas County.

The 39-page report, dated Nov. 25, takes a look at how well the district, which serves 110,000 county residents, complied with state and federal regulations regarding grant funds. The short answer: not well. Investigators found numerous problems, termed “compliance observations.”

Most of the problems involved the transit district’s unusual decision to hire Ben Edtl, a Republican political consultant from Tualatin, as CEO and the subsequent alleged misuse of grant funds and refusal to provide requested documents

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