Special Reports

Synonym
Other Annual Reports

Reconnecting with our partners in accountability at WFOA 2022

Hello, WFOA 2022! The State Auditor's Office is excited to be reconnecting with our partners in government accountability at the first in-person WFOA annual conference in three years. We're bringing our ‘A' (audit) game this year with four pre-conference trainings and 13 sessions. Our staff are presenting sessions on new BARS updates and lease accounting requirements, payroll and credit card internal controls, tips for fighting and reporting fraud, and much more.

Audit of federal dollars in Washington state reviews pandemic-related spike in spending

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Aug. 8, 2022

OLYMPIA – The Office of the Washington State Auditor's annual audit of federal money spent in the state revealed 61 areas of concern across 21 federal programs. Because of a lack of documentation, auditors were unable to audit one entire program, calling into question at least $271 million in spending.

These issues and more can be found today in an accessible summary of the extensive audit report by the State Auditor's Office (SAO).

Schools and school districts: Check out the special WASBO edition of our newsletter, just for you

This week, the Washington Association of School Business Officials (WASBO) is hosting its annual conference. SAO representatives will be there in person, sharing the latest news on financial reporting and auditing issues.

As is our custom, we have created an Audit Connection newsletter designed just for schools and school districts. Those at the conference should stop by SAO's booth for a hard copy. We've also included it here as an interactive issue and downloadable PDF for easy digital reference. See the last page of the PDF for printing instructions.

Stay Rooted in #GoodGovernment, WFOA 2021!

Updated: Sep 9, 2021

Hello, #WFOA21! We are happy to see you again this year, even virtually. Since we saw you last, SAO has worked diligently to create valuable tips, training and resources to help you stay rooted in #GoodGovernment. This year, we have sessions on keeping your internal controls strong in a remote work environment, navigating a federal single audit (especially if it is your first time), and working with SAO when you suspect a loss of public resources. We hope you'll attend our sessions to learn more.

Auditor McCarthy releases first audit on unemployment fraud

OLYMPIA – An audit released today provides the first, high-level accounting of some of the circumstances surrounding the major fraud scheme that targeted Washington state's unemployment benefits in the spring.

As part of its annual audit of the state's financial statements, the Office of the Washington State Auditor found that the Employment Security Department (ESD) did not have adequate internal controls to prevent the fraud. The Department also reported inaccurate fraud and recovery numbers for the state's financial statements.