5 INVESTIGATES preview: Star professor billed U of M for personal expenses

Wednesday night, 5 INVESTIGATES uncovers lavish trips, first-class flights and expensive gifts all paid for by the University of Minnesota and, in some cases, taxpayers.

Investigative Reporter Eric Rasmussen found a star professor at the university had been billing personal expenses as business expenses for years.

Once Rasmussen began asking questions, university administrators launched an investigation.

University auditors are now looking into professor Aaron Doering’s expenses.

Doering recently made headlines when he was arrested in December for assaulting a girlfriend in her Minneapolis apartment. He pleaded guilty to domestic assault last month.

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5 INVESTIGATES has learned administrators were alerted to concerns about Doering’s spending years ago, yet they allowed him to continue billing the university for thousands of dollars.

Doering listed girlfriends as "consultants" and charged the university for a long list of expenses that now appear unrelated to his work as a professor. In all, 5 INVESTIGATES found Doering billed at least $30,000 in questionable expenses over five years.

Rasmussen reveals the full investigation on 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.