“Independent auditors should provide evidence-based recommendations to the state government in order to serve the public interest.”
Ben Botkin, Oregon Capital Chronicle
Oregonians can still access the audit of Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, despite the fact that the audit was heavily scrutinized after the scandal surrounding former Secretary of State Shemia Faga’s (D), moonlighting with cannabis company La Mota.
Oregon Secretary of state LaVonne Griffin Valade (D), released her review on the audit Monday. She said that the report is of the highest quality and should be treated in the same manner as other reports by the agency.
She said that independent auditors who provide evidence-based recommendations to the state government would serve the public’s interest best in this case. “Neither I nor anyone else has found any reason to believe that this report falls short of the standard.”
An independent report last month called for the Secretary of States Office to remove the audit, while the agency reviewed it. The audit was linked to Griffin-Valade’s predecessor Shemia Fagan’s rapid fall. Fagan quit her consulting job in May due to a $10,000 per month contract.
Griffin-Valade Memo summarizes the findings of an extensive review that lasted a full month and aims to show that Fagan’s actions did not affect the audit report. An independent review of this audit in October concluded that the auditors should have done more to improve the public’s perception of it and the conflicts of interest involving Fagan’s consulting. Griffin-Valade agreed with the assessment that Sjoberg Evashenk Consulting, based in California, completed for Oregon Department of Justice.
Griffin-Valade instructed state auditors on how to change auditing processes. This included limiting the secretary’s role in planning audits, and identifying conflicts of interest during the audit. The office will also overhaul the process for selecting audit subjects during planning, and contract with an independent third party consultant to improve audit planning.
Oregon Government Ethics Commission is currently investigating two cases involving Fagan. One case concerns her consulting contract, and the other her travels and whether or not she brought her family on trips improperly.
Originally published by Oregon Capital Chronicle.
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