Columbus – Auditor of State Dave Yost today took the fight against public corruption to the next level with the announcement of the new Public Integrity Assurance Team – a single source of expertise for investigating fraud in government.

“This brings all the disciplines of our office into one team with one mission,” Auditor Yost said.  “When you can’t work any harder, you’ve got to work smarter.”

Under the new Public Integrity Assurance Team, the former Special Audit Section, Special Investigations Unit and portions of the Auditor of State’s legal staff will unite as a team with the mission to promote clean, ethical government while exposing corruption and wrongdoing where it exists.

Comprised of forensic auditors, investigators and attorneys, the team has decades of experience and working relationships with law enforcement at the local, state and federal levels.  Their expertise allows them to take a case from an initial complaint through conclusion.  In cases where local officials have conflicts that make them unable to conduct investigations, the Public Integrity Assurance Team brings independence.

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The Auditor of State’s office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio, is responsible for auditing more than 5,800 state and local government agencies. Under the direction of Auditor Dave Yost, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies and promotes transparency in government.