Earlier this week, I came across an article that discussed an ongoing dispute in Delaware over funding of the State Auditor’s office. Partisan politics appear to be at the root of a debate over more than US $2.5 million sought by the State Auditor to make his auditors’ pay scale more competitive. The title of the article, “Delaware Auditor: Low Pay Could Muzzle ‘Watchdogs’,” might be a bit sensational, but don’t underestimate the effectiveness of purse strings toward containing internal audit functions in government or the corporate sector.
First, let me say that a vast number of corporate executives and government officials demonstrate appreciation for a strong and effective internal audit function and the oversight it can bring.…