SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- A sworn court declaration says a former state parks employee told state attorneys earlier this year that her department was hiding $20 million in a special fund, months before administration officials say they discovered the surplus money.

 

The employee, Cheryl Taylor, said she also told a representative of the state attorney general's office in January that the state parks' budget manager had warned employees not to disclose the underreporting. A copy of her declaration, filed Tuesday, was obtained by The Associated Press.

 

The resources agency, which oversees state parks, said it discovered the hidden money in July.

 

It was not clear what the state attorneys did with the information, and their agencies would not comment.

 

The development is the latest revelation in an evolving scandal involving state special funds.

   AP-WF-08-14-12 2203GMT