This week, Auditor Diana DiZoglio filed suit with the Supreme Judicial Court to enforce the voter-approved audit law requiring transparency and accountability from the House and Senate.
More than 72 percent of Massachusetts voters approved Question 1 in 2024, giving the State Auditor clear authority to audit the Legislature.
More than a year later, legislative leaders are still refusing to comply as Attorney General Andrea Campbell has refused to enforce the law. A law that stemmed from a ballot question her office approved.
The prolonged refusal to comply with the law undermines public trust and reinforces the perception that lawmakers operate under a separate set of rules. No branch of government should be above oversight, especially when taxpayer dollars are involved. If legislators believe they can simply ignore a law that applies to them, then voter confidence in state government erodes even further.
The auditor’s lawsuit seeks a straightforward remedy: compel the House and Senate to produce the requested financial and operational records and allow the auditor to carry out the audit Massachusetts voters explicitly authorized.
Since the Attorney General refuses to enforce the law, the auditor is asking the state Supreme Judicial Court the authority for the auditor to appoint her own lawyer. In essence, the auditor is asking the state’s highest court, if she can be legally represented by a lawyer since the Attorney General refuses to represent the auditor or enforce the voter approved law. All this would be unnecessary if the legislature simply allowed for the auditor to audit them or if the Attorney General enforced the law.
Since the auditor brought this lawsuit forward, the Attorney General has already stated that the auditor does not have the legal authority to ask for legal representation outside of the Attorney General granting her a lawyer. The arrogance from the Attorney General is breathtaking. She is trying to be the judge in the case instead of allowing the auditor to hire a lawyer. The Attorney General has the legal authority to request documents and information through her investigative powers but is stalling and saying the auditor is not sending her unimportant information.
This dispute comes at a time when residents face rising taxes, soaring energy costs, and an ongoing affordability crisis, making transparency around government spending more important than ever.
  Watch our latest videos on Auditor DiZoglio’s recent lawsuit to enforce the Audit the Legislature Law here.
Watch Auditor DiZoglio's full press conference here.
Auditor DiZoglio is doing exactly what voters asked her to do, and MassFiscal stands ready to support that effort. As always, we will keep you updated as more develops. |
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