EAST ST. LOUIS — The supervisor of East St. Louis Township is under federal investigation over alleged unauthorized charges on township-issued credit cards estimated at $280,000.

Meanwhile, taxpayers not only footed the bill for the alleged spending spree, but also paid thousands of dollars for annual mandatory audits of the township that didn’t reveal the alleged misappropriation of funds.

Supervisor Oliver Hamilton and at least two others, without the knowledge or approval of the township’s board of trustees, allegedly made charges on taxpayer-supported credit cards that were supposed to be limited to $1,000 a month.

The Belleville News-Democrat said that from 2012 until July 2016, Hamilton; his sister, June Hamilton Dean, who is a paid financial consultant to the township; and an office administrator allegedly spent $280,000 in public funds on out-of state trips, mostly to Chicago, Los Angeles and Las Vegas; a vast array of building supplies; and car washes, oil changes, detailing and gasoline for Oliver Hamilton’s personal vehicle.

The same report said the card used specifically by Hamilton allegedly accounted for $230,000 of the total charges.