12/05/2019
State Auditor Nicole Galloway today released a statement after a judge ruled against Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott in his lawsuit challenging the State Auditor's duty to protect whistleblowers. In the ruling, the court confirmed the actions of the Auditor's office were lawful and upheld the office's legal duty to protect the identity of whistleblowers.
In 2017, Auditor Galloway received whistleblower complaints about possible misuse of public resources in Greene County in connection with a tax ballot issue. After asking the commission to authorize the audit, the State Auditor's Office received Sunshine Law requests for documents concerning the Greene County Sheriff's Office or Sheriff Arnott. The office fulfilled the requests but omitted any documents that are confidential and closed pursuant to law, including information that could reveal whistleblower identities. Sheriff Arnott's lawsuit challenged the Auditor's duty to ensure those who report concerns of government wrongdoing are protected from retribution.
After the composition of the commission changed this past January, a resolution for an audit was approved. Audit work in Greene County began this summer and remains underway.
Auditor Galloway issued the following statement:
"The court's ruling upholds this office's legal duty to protect those who report government waste, fraud and abuse. Taxpayers have a right to hold their government accountable. When whistleblowers come forward to my office, they expect protection. Without the information provided by whistleblowers and the legal safeguards that shield those individuals, the audit of Greene County may not have happened."
The judgment can be found here.
