A new law gives the Missouri State Auditor more authority and transparency to investigate fraud, waste, and abuse. Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick told Missourinet that the bill helps him hold the government accountable.
“We do not audit taxpayers. We audit the government,” he explained. “So, our job is to hold accountable the state agencies and local governments across the state of Missouri that are responsible for enforcing the laws and running the government and spending the money that is collected from taxpayers.”
The law specifies that the auditor may audit all or part of a local government if they believe improper government activity has occurred, or when requested by a prosecuting attorney, circuit attorney, or law enforcement agency as part of an investigation. Fitzpatrick said that most fraud happens inside smaller government entities where there’s fewer controls in place to prevent fraud.
“We currently have the authority to go into any state agency and audit them,” Fitzpatrick said. “We can go into any county that doesn’t have their own county auditor. We can go into school districts, but the smallest political subdivisions, and in some cases very large ones, we can’t access.”
The legislation that gives him subpoena power during an investigation protects whistleblowers.
“If somebody has concerns about fraud in a local government, they can call our whistleblower hotline…we take that information and we’re able to conduct an investigation,” he said. “However, during an investigation, prior to the passage of House Bill 2111 and Gov. Parson signing it, we don’t have the authority to issue a subpoena if we have an uncooperative entity.”
The Missouri Legislature gave unanimous approval to the bill this year. The legislation was sponsored by Sen. Travis Fitzwater, R-Holts Summit.
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