The state of fraud in local governments: a candid Q&A with SAO’s Brandi Pritchard

Misappropriation of public funds and fraud cases have surged in just the past year due to remote work, artificial intelligence and other factors. ProPublica recently spoke with SAO’s Brandi Pritchard to find out more, and she shared her expertise gleaned from many years of experience to answer questions including:

• How has fraud changed since the pandemic?
• What’s the most shocking fraud you’ve ever run across?
• How often do you run across fraud in routine audits?
• After two decades in this job, has your view of humanity darkened?

As SAO’s Assistant Director of Special Investigations, Brandi offers some excellent insight and advice that local governments of every stripe can benefit from. This is a must-read for local governments in today’s environment.

In fact, our Office prides itself on offering a robust collection of fraud-prevention resources and tools for local governments, so be sure to take advantage! And if you suspect a misuse of public funds, you can report a concern anonymously. If you have any questions, please contact us at fraud@sao.wa.gov.