The Blame Game: Santa Cruz County Officials Point Fingers After Massive Theft
Recent events have rocked Santa Cruz County, Arizona, as the auditor general released a damning report accusing county leaders of failing to detect a massive theft. The county, however, is now turning the tables and blaming the auditors for overlooking crucial red flags.
According to the auditor general’s report, an alleged embezzlement scheme drained $39 million from Santa Cruz County’s coffers over a decade, with the treasurer at the center of the scandal. The repercussions have been swift, with the treasurer resigning, the county filing a lawsuit, and state lawmakers considering new legislation to prevent similar incidents.
However, the county is pushing back, claiming that the auditor general failed to adhere to basic accounting principles in overseeing the treasurer’s office. In a bold move, county officials filed a notice of claim against the auditor general, seeking to hold them accountable for missing the signs of the treasurer’s alleged misdeeds.
Arizona law mandates regular financial audits of counties, but the auditor general’s report suggests that the former treasurer went to great lengths to conceal her actions. Furthermore, the report indicates that the county’s board of supervisors neglected to scrutinize suspicious financial reports submitted by the treasurer’s office.
The county insists that the auditor general’s report is an attempt to shift blame and minimize their own liability. Calling the report “misleading,” the county demands a retraction and vows to pursue legal action to determine the auditor general’s responsibility in safeguarding the county’s finances.
Santa Cruz County demands the Auditor General retract its self-serving and misleading report. https://t.co/EquPAiThdo pic.twitter.com/0qaLQ9eWSI
— Santa Cruz County AZ (@santacruzaz) August 28, 2024
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For more information on the ongoing developments in Santa Cruz County and related stories, check out these links:
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