The first formal investigation into allegations of wrongdoing hovering by Secretary of State Kevin Shelley is complete.

Today’s report from State Auditor Elaine Howle focuses on where Shelley spent millions of dollars in federal election reform money, money from the Help America Vote (HAVA) program. You can read Howle’s audit yourself on her website. The bottom line: Howle says Shelley was responsible for “poor management” of the grants, and she confirms that some of the money was paid to consultants to attend, or participate in, partisan political events.

The report is the subject of much chatter at the state Capitol, and the new chairperson of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, Assemblymember Nicole Parra, now says she will convene a formal hearing into the Shelley/HAVA matter on January 11th.

We’ll have a full report on the audit, and what happens next, on Friday morning’s edition of The California Report.