California State Assembly Chamber. (Photo: Kevin Sanders for California Globe)
I’M SHOCKED: California Legislators Ignore State Audit Warnings
We need to demand better representatives
By Katy Grimes, January 28, 2026 7:02 am
A new CBS News report found what most of us already knew: The Democrat Supermajority Legislature ignores state audits – even audits the Joint Legislative Audit Committee request. The State Auditor is non-partisan, just as with the Legislative Analyst’s Office, and is supposed to be the state watchdog to help limit waste, fraud and abuse.
I’M SHOCKED.
CBS reports: “The unresolved warnings span some of California’s most expensive and urgent problems, including unemployment fraud, homelessness spending oversight, public safety funding accountability, wildfire risk, and drinking water safety, just to name a few.”
I have covered many of the State Auditor’s reports, and most recently, broke their latest report by State Auditor Gabe Petek, who is excellent : “California State Auditor: Governor Newsom And 8 Agencies Named ‘High-Risk’ which found that Gavin Newsom while in his final year as governor, has upended the state’s financial structure, compromised public safety, and left the state’s infrastructure in far worse condition.
Back in the 2010s, I greatly appreciated reporting on then-State Auditor Elaine Howle’s fabulous audits.
Here’s just one article from June 2010 warning that State Employees Misuse Taxpayer Money:
Say it isn’t so… some state employees abuse their public service jobs? I’m shocked.
The state Auditor Elaine Howle released another spate of reports on Tuesday that include some damning information.
Several state agencies were caught with employees abusing and stealing from the state. It turns out that management within the agencies knew of the abuse and misuse of taxpayer money. Which agencies? Corrections, Industrial Relations, Justice, CSU Northridge and CSU Channel Islands, Water Resources, Consumer Affairs, Social Services, Food and Agriculture, Highway Patrol, and the DMV.
Here are the reports:
Investigations of Improper Activities by State Employees:
Misuse of State Time and Resources, Improper Gifts, Inadequate Administrative Controls, and Other Violations of State Law
January 2009 Through December 2009
Brief Report | Full Report (PDF) | Fact Sheet (PDF)
and…
Implementation of State Auditor’s Recommendations:
Audits Released in January 2008 Through December 2009
Brief Report | Full Report (PDF)
It doesn’t appear that California has done a good job with federal Recovery Act funds: Recovery Act Programs—Interim Reports. Specifically, the California Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission: “It Is Not Fully Prepared to Award and Monitor Millions in Recovery Act Funds and Lacks Controls to Prevent Their Misuse.” Fact Sheet (PDF) Report (PDF)
and… “High-Risk Update—California’s System for Administering Federal Recovery Act Funds: State Departments Are Preparing to Administer Aspects of Recovery Act Funding, but Correction of Control Weaknesses and Prompt Federal and State Guidance Are Needed.” Fact Sheet (PDF) Highlights Summary Report (PDF)Original Report (PDF)
This needs to be exposed.
Legislators and state leaders should be required by state law to publicly address state audits, with their implementation plan to make the fixes.
Here are some of our other articles reporting on the California State Auditor’s excellent reports:
California State Auditor’s Scathing Homeless Report: Where Did the Money Go?
California State Auditor Rates Unemployment Agency ‘High Risk’
California ‘DOGE’ Proves State Government is Too BIG and Unaccountable
California’s High Speed Swindle
State Auditor Releases Scathing Audit of the Failure to Mitigate Homelessness in California
State Auditor’s Report Shows Lanterman Act Reform is Badly Needed
CA State Auditor Finds State Agencies Overpaying Millions for Workers’ Compensation Insurance
State Auditor Finds Dept of Corrections Rehabilitation Programs a Total Failure
CA Auditor Report: State Distributed Double CARES Act Funding To Larger Counties
CA Auditor Warns 18 State Agencies ‘High Risk’ for Waste, Fraud, Abuse of Federal COVID Funds
All of these reports have been ignored by the state’s elected lawmakers: abuse of Covid funds, disappearing EDD funds, abuse of homeless funds, California’s High Speed Rail funding… we need to demand better representatives. California’s Legislature needs a cleansing.
A California native and Navy mom, Katy lives in Sacramento, CA.
- Governor Newsom’s 2026 Budget has New Homeless Agencies & Increases Homeless Spending: $37 Billion Wasn’t Enough? - February 16, 2026
- ‘Newsom the Arrogant’ is also ‘Newsom the Destructive’ - February 16, 2026
- California’s High Gas Prices and Refinery Closures Have Real Consequences - February 13, 2026
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Just like the the Democrat Supermajority Legislature ignores state audits, they also ignore voters who are here legally. We can demand better representatives until we’re blue in the face. With their ability to steal elections with voter fraud and their complete control of the state government, the criminal Democrat thug mafia can do whatever they please.
Definitely agree, TJ, that nothing is going to change until we have “clean-enough” elections.
Katy Grimes (God bless her) has been reporting on our California corruption since (at least) 2010! I’m losing track of time, but even longer than that, I’m sure. And what do we see? A long, long, long history of completely outrageous and unacceptable government theft and abuse that (of course) has brought us to our present ruinous state of near-collapse as we (shockingly, not) witness the continuing crooked energy —– that shows no signs of stopping, or even slowing —- of our current mega-Dem majority state leadership and representation. “Who me?” say our legislators, looking up at the ceiling, not making eye contact, whistling, humming, or hiding under the desk, who will apparently soon escape detection entirely in the built-for-their-comfort secret passages of the new ugly Capitol Annex as they absurdly forge ahead with business-as-usual. Is a change coming as the numbers of fed-up and informed Californians grow? It’s a tall order for sure, but you never know what the future holds in this state. Guess we’ll see..
Dereliction of Duty!
Source~ Legal Brief AI:
What does “dereliction of duty” mean in legal documents?
“Dereliction of duty” refers to a situation where someone fails to fulfill their responsibilities, either on purpose or through carelessness. This term is often used in legal contexts to describe a breach of duty by individuals in positions of authority or responsibility. For example, if a police officer ignores an emergency call, they may be accused of dereliction of duty. This failure can lead to serious consequences, not just for the individual but also for others who may be affected by their inaction.
What is to come?
Higher taxes?
Unsafe streets?
More residents forced to flee?
The total and complete lack of accountability is endemic throughout the government as evidenced by this link.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5332843-trump-calls-for-scrapping-debt-limit/
The supreme leader is advocating complete and unabashed reckless spending: He’s teaming with Schumer and others to abandon accountability thus hasten the destruction of the US dollar and stoke inflation.
The dedicated and unrelenting Republicans are hypocrites.
Trump MAY be calling for it, but all these reports going back at least a decade prove that California Democrats have been SHREDDING the budget and outright STEALING from it…
Seek psychological counseling for your Trump Derangement Syndrome, Eye…
Sir/Madam
With all due respects this is only part of the denial of reality you are perpetuating while Trump’s actions exacerbate America’s problems and potential default.
Trump’s priority should be the preservation and protection of America’s citizenry: Rather he’s fostering the destruction of you, I and America.
Donald Trump Larry Fink Schumer et al are dragging America into the abyss.
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-economy-2672031888/
Donald Trump hastening the collapse of America
https://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2024/02/07/cbo-federal-interest-payments-now-exceed-defense-spending/
California Globe chronicles everything political throughout the state California and this article is about California legislative Democrats blatantly and willfully ignoring state audits and even audits the Joint Legislative Audit Committee request.
Eyeinthesky once again tries to deflect and cover for his criminal Democrat thug masters by unsuccessfully hijacking the comment section.
Notice that Eyeinthesky does not mention California’s debt and unfunded liabilities which are in the trillions of dollars? (https://californiapolicycenter.org/california-state-and-local-liabilities-total-1-6-trillion/)
Eyeinthesky is a pathetic troll working on behalf of Hair-gel Hitler Newsom and the criminal Democrat thug mafia that controls California.
@Eye, try to concentrate and stay on topic.
This state is run by Third World Democrats, replete with the corruption and waste.
Democrats never make anything better. It’s always decay.
California Democrats: “What’s an audit???”
This is what happens when a citizenry cedes power to “community organizers”…
These people could not manage a lemonade stand, let alone a complex state like California.
California needs more Bill Essayli, Doug LaMalfa (RIP), Rick Caruso and John Moorlach types with real-world business experience and education and fewer DEI-hires like Scott Weiner, Gavin Newsom, Ricardo Lara and Buffy Wicks …
This would eliminate the entire Democrat slate to backfill Newsom’s reign of economic horrors…
“I’M SHOCKED: California Legislators Ignore State Audit Warnings”
And I’m shocked there is gambling at Rick’s Cafe Americain.