California’s top librarian is accused of failing to produce $650,000 in missing funds linked to a literacy program started by country music star Dolly Parton in east Tennessee in 1995.
State legislators recently pelted Greg Lucas, the leader of the California State Library, with questions about the funds during a budget hearing on education, the New York Post reported on Friday.
The issue is connected to a foundation started by Parton called Imagination Library, which delivers free books to children. The program was set to be statewide in California in 2023, according to WJHL.
The outlet noted Parton created her library in 1995 to provide free books in her home county in east Tennessee.
During the hearing, state Sen. Shannon Grove (R) told Lucas he did not have documentation to show where the money went.
She then asked point blank, “Where’s the money?”
Lucas was appointed to lead the state library in 2014 by former Gov. Jerry Brown, ABC 10 reported.
“State officials created a nonprofit and allowed the new organization’s executive director — who also ran a Sacramento consulting firm — to pay that firm at least $208,652, according to committee records,” the Post article said.
Legislation for a statewide version of the program through the state library was signed into law in 2022 with the approval of over $68 million in state funding for the books. The Post noted that “Lawmakers allowed up to 10% — about $6.8 million — for administrative costs and set a goal of enrolling roughly 65% of eligible California children within five years.”
However, when the program stalled for a couple of years the state library entered a $19.2 million contract in late 2024 with Strong Reader Partnership, a nonprofit group that was closed down in September. It received over $4.8 million from the state with $4 million shifted to a money market account.
The nonprofit said it spent about $1.2 million but bank statements reportedly showed over $500,000 in expenses. Now, lawmakers claim nearly $650,000 is missing and Lucas has said he will get answers for officials.
In regard to the lack of documentation, Grove told Lucas in a budget meeting, “You don’t have receipts requested six times. You don’t have bank statements requested six times from this committee. … That makes no sense, and that reeks of horrific no transparency and potential fraud.”
