Chris Lisinski, State House News Service
The bitter fight between state Auditor Diana DiZoglio and the legislative leaders with whom she used to serve could head to court.
As expected, DiZoglio announced Wednesday she will pursue litigation to try to force the House and Senate to comply with her audit of their operations after top Democrats refused by arguing that the auditor’s office does not have that authority. Flanked by stacks of historical reports, DiZoglio said her office’s research determined the state auditor has audited the legislature on at least 113 previous occasions.
DiZoglio, a former representative and senator from Methuen elected to her new office in November, said House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka’s refusal to comply with a probe by the auditor’s office is “unacceptable” and pledged to challenge the matter in court.
“We have two legislators who were elected by a very small fraction of the state twisting and weaponizing both Massachusetts General Law and the Constitution against the people of the entire state of Massachusetts to try and shield themselves from basic accountability,” DiZoglio said.
DiZoglio on March 7 announced her office “has begun an audit of the state Legislature” and reported that her office “will communicate information with the public as soon as the audit is complete.”