Washington ( CNN ) -- The director of the National Weather Service announced his sudden retirement last week after an internal investigation found the agency shifted some of its funding internally without asking Congress , according to officials familiar with the situation . Jack Hayes , a veteran meteorologist who headed the weather service since 2007 , announced his retirement Friday and will be succeeded by an acting assistant administrator Tuesday , said a statement by Jane Lubchenco , the undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere . Lubchenco 's statement Friday made no mention of the investigation that found more than $ 30 million had been used by the National Weather Service to pay for costs that differed from the intended budgeted funding . All the officials involved emphasized that there was no evidence that any of the money was for personal gain . `` National Weather Service employees engaged in the reprogramming of funds without congressional notification as required , '' said a statement Monday by Scott Smullen , a spokesman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , which includes the weather service . `` The investigation also found that no funds were used on inappropriate items , they were simply used in different categories than originally budgeted , '' Smullen 's statement said . The investigation found no evidence of corruption or personal financial gain in these actions . `` We do not believe any money was moved out of the National Weather Service . '' Richard Hirn , the general counsel and legislative director for the National Weather Service Employees Organization , said Monday that most of the shifted funds helped make up a shortfall between rising salaries for weather forecasters and the amount of money appropriated to pay them . Weakened storm soaks Southeast U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe , R-Maine , called Friday for Congress to look into the matter . According to a statement by Snowe , senior staff at the National Weather Service `` have been conducting improper and potentially illegal transfers of taxpayers ' money . '' `` While the director of the National Weather Service has stepped down , there are many more remaining questions which require answers from both National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Department of Commerce -- and any and all individuals who bear responsibility in this misconduct must be held fully to account , '' her statement said . In addition , the senator expressed concern that `` the investigative report raises fundamental concerns that the core operations of the National Weather Service are underfunded '' and the Department of Commerce lacks sufficient overview . Specifically , Snowe 's statement said that the chief financial officer of the National Weather Service `` was misappropriating funds from his program accounts and redirecting them to 122 weather offices nationwide , which conduct critical forecasting of weather events and major storms . '' `` At this time , NOAA has not found any evidence that the CFO , or any other NWS employee , made personal financial gains from this misappropriation , '' Snowe 's statement said . `` According to NOAA , disciplinary action is being reviewed for individuals involved in this behavior . '' The weather service chief financial officer at the time in question was Robert J. Byrd . In announcing the retirement of Hayes , Lubchenco named Laura Furgione as acting assistant administrator of the weather service . Furgione headed the weather service Alaska region and most recently has been its deputy assistant administrator . Lubchenco 's statement praised Hayes for pursuing `` a number of important advancements that have resulted and will continue to result in lives saved throughout the country . '' In a memorandum to staff last week , Lubchenco said NOAA will ask Congress to reprogram $ 35 million in funding to address the situation . Snowe said Congress needs to take a closer look at the matter before deciding on that request . However , Hirn said that a failure to approve the reprogramming of the funds could force unpaid furloughs of weather forecasters across the country . Lubchenco 's memorandum listed a series of steps taken in response to recommendations by the investigation , including tightened oversight of spending , changes in management structure and steps to ensure that reports of problems receive proper attention . In a separate issue , an audit of nine NOAA contracts released last week found they lacked sufficient supporting information or were too subjective in granting performance awards , providing `` little incentive for contractors to excel . '' The audit by the inspector general 's office of the U.S. Department of Commerce found $ 43.8 million in performance awards to contractors had been granted without proper justification .
NEW : Steps taken at the weather service to tighten spending oversight . The National Weather Service head is retiring unexpectedly . Officials acknowledge the internal problem , but say no corruption occurred . Sen. Olympia Snowe says weather service money was shifted improperly .