Special Reports

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.

Staff from the Office of the Washington State Auditor are happy to (virtually) join our colleagues here to connect as we all navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. We have a lot to share with you.

Audit Connection Newsletter, special WFOA edition

Here is a printable version of this infographic.

Here is a pdf version of this infographic.

Here is a printable version of this infographic.

The State Auditor's Office (SAO) performs almost 200 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) reviews each year. Local governments may also submit their ACFR to the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. As part of their ACFR reviews, SAO and GFOA identified several common errors that could affect your government's ability to obtain this certificate.

Here are some common errors and pitfalls to be on the lookout for when preparing your ACFR:

In 2017, Washington state spent more than $17.5 billion in federal money. Each year, the State of Washington Single Audit (SWSA) examines whether state agencies complied with federal requirements for those funds. As a whole, the state does meet those requirements.

We issued our state ACFR summary report December 27, 2016.