JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway says she's investigating potential conflicts of interest related to state officials' work with a trucking technology company.
Galloway announced the investigation Friday after the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported current and former Missouri regulators have worked for the nonprofit HELP Inc. It's the only company that provides technology allowing truckers to bypass Missouri weigh stations.
The newspaper reported Transportation Department and Highway Patrol regulators blocked competitors from coming to Missouri. A lawmaker and lobbyist told the paper the FBI is investigating, but the agency declined to comment.
Col. Bret Johnson was on HELP Inc.'s board when he was Highway Patrol superintendent and sent a letter canceling a competitor's pilot program. Johnson says the competitor didn't meet state requirements, and he sees no conflict with his role.