SAINT PAUL, MN – Rep. Sarah Anderson, R-Plymouth, Chair of the House State Government Finance Committee, issued the following statement regarding the decision by the Minnesota Court of Appeals finding the bipartisan 2015 law that allows counties to use a private firm to perform audits does not violate the Minnesota Constitution. This is the second time the courts have upheld the law.
"The courts have now twice upheld the 2015 law, which passed both a Republican House and Democrat Senate and was signed into law by Governor Dayton, allowing counties to contract with a certified public accountant to perform audits. A third of Minnesota counties were already granted a waiver by the Office of the State Auditor to have CPA audits performed, so this change was not revolutionary or a major disruption in the duties of the auditor.
Auditor Rebecca Otto has already wasted over $250,000 of taxpayer dollars on these politically motivated lawsuits. Any further appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court would serve no purpose other than to waste taxpayer dollars to promote the Auditor's gubernatorial bid.”
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