Following her announcement she would begin the first audit of the state Legislature in a century, Diana DiZoglio says Senate budget writers are cutting funding for her office short while other departments see massive increases.
“The Senate Budget is the latest example of how Beacon Hill’s most powerful politicians weaponize our taxpayer dollars to punish people for standing up for taxpayers. The state budget should not be treated as a game meant to settle political scores,” the state Auditor said in a Thursday statement. “This move further demonstrates the incredible lack of integrity and equity in their legislative process.”
According to DiZoglio’s office, the state Senate’s recently released about $55 billion budget proposal that includes large increases to the budgets of other important statewide offices, but does not make the same changes to the auditor’s budget.
As written, from fiscal 2023 to fiscal 2024, the Attorney General’s Office will see a 10% funding increase, going from about $64 million to $70 million, the Treasurer an 8% increase, from about $149 million to $161 million, and the Secretary of State a 6% increase, from about $33 million to $35 million.
The auditor’s office will get an extra $315,155 on top of their fiscal 2023 about $22 million budget, or about 1% more, and all of that increase, Dizoglio says, was actually approved under the previous administration.
DiZoglio, in her statement, makes clear she thinks it is her announcement is auditing parts of the Legislature’s conduct and spending — with or without their support or concurrence — which led to the cut in funding.
“Every dollar the Senate President chooses to withhold from our office doesn’t hurt me, it hurts taxpayers. The shameless tactics used to coerce, control, manipulate and punish just add to the many examples of why an audit of the Legislature is so desperately needed,” she said.
“No amount of bullying or retaliation will stop our office from doing our jobs by conducting this audit. One has to wonder what they’re hiding when every other state agency welcomes audits as routine matters,” she continued.
Lawmakers in both the House and the Senate have maintained that DiZoglio lacks the constitutional authority to audit a separate branch of government which is tasked with creating its own rules of conduct. Both chambers are audited annually by outside auditors, legislative leaders have said.
A spokesperson for the Senate president did not return a request for comment by press time.