I was shocked by the editorial in today’s paper. To question what a forensic audit would uncover that the State Auditor hadn’t already uncovered shows a clear lack of knowledge of how our government operates.
I wish State Auditor Shad White could save our city, but the law doesn’t allow his office to come in like it can for county governments and school districts. Citizens may have the wrong impression about White’s office not being able to find all the missing money. The State Auditor’s office was only able to trace about $290,000 to Rawle because that’s all the city asked them to do — find the money that Rawle embezzled. The city didn’t say “help us find any missing money” meaning that White’s office did not have the authority to look beyond what Rawle had done.
Today’s editorial not only instilled doubts in the readers’ minds about the benefits of the audit, it gave ammunition to those on the City Council who are trying to stop the audit.
Why would anyone on the City Council be opposed to uncovering the truth? It doesn’t speak well for them or whoever wrote that editorial.
Bob Raymond, Columbus
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