JEFFERSON CITY - Political opportunist Susan Montee is wasting little time playing politics with the state auditor’s office by launching a politically-motivated audit that threatens to stand in the way of providing millions of dollars for Missouri students.

Montee, who has publicly said she opposes the sale of Missouri Higher Public Education Loan Authority assets, announced her politically-motivated audit before being officially sworn into office by issuing a news release and then using her swearing in to promote it further.

The Jay Nixon-like tactics were eagerly swallowed up by members of the media that in most cases failed to seek comment from those who might question Montee’s audit or the motivation for it.

Montee’s zeal to attack students included her plans to release audit findings piecemeal rather than wait for the audit to be completed. Montee’s opposition is also eerily familiar to Nixon’s politically motivated legal attack against members of the MOHELA board.

“Missourians have to be concerned that Susan Montee’s first decision as auditor is to launch a politically motivated audit aimed at vital funding for students at our colleges and universities before she has even learned the basics of her office,” said Paul Sloca, communications director for the Missouri Republican Party. “By making the Democrat political playbook her first order of business, Montee has made it quite clear that she is more interested in pandering to Democrat Party bosses rather than standing up for students.”