Audit highly critical of state deal with Jones Lang LaSalle

The state comptroller's office released an audit Wednesday morning highly critical of the Haslam Administration's real estate management practices, finding that a contract with Jones Lang LaSalle to manage state assets was altered in a way that could benefit JLL.

"We believe the first and second amendments also placed JLL in a position to offer the state advice and then reap the benefits of its own recommendations, creating an organizational conflict of interest," the audit states, noting later that the changes "increase the risk that JLL may recommend unnecessary leases so that it can profit from them."