State Auditor Tina Cannon highlights audits, warns on threats to independence

State Auditor Tina Cannon used her time at the Utah County Republican Lincoln Day dinner to highlight audit work and to make a case for preserving auditor independence. "I know where the skeletons are and who buried them," Cannon said, describing the role of audits in identifying fraud, waste and administrative shortcomings across state agencies.

Cannon said that in her first 15 months she and her team identified "more than half a billion dollars" in fraud, waste and abuse and cited several categories of findings — from nonprofit misuse of funds to unreimbursed pharmacy rebates at the Department of Health and Human Services. She emphasized that auditors follow governmental accounting standards and that independence from political pressure is critical to producing reliable reports and recommendations.

Cannon also singled out a legislative ally, thanking Representative Norm Thurston for listening to concerns during a challenging moment in the legislative session and for defending the auditor’s independence. She framed audits as corrective and constructive: the recommendations in reports, she said, are meant to return agencies to their proper mission and provide taxpayers assurance about how funds are used.

Cannon closed by encouraging attendance at related fundraising activities and describing a lunch auction opportunity that will support her office’s engagement events.