Auditor to review state employment suits

Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway will audit the state’s Legal Expense Fund, which is the pool of money used to make payments stemming from lawsuits against the state. According to a news release, recent reports highlighted an increase in the amount of money the state is spending each year to settle lawsuits against the state for inappropriate activity, including sexual harassment and discrimination occurring on the job.

“Like many of my colleagues in state government I was alarmed and dismayed by recent reporting on sexual harassment and discrimination involving Department of Corrections employees, and by the troubling amount of taxpayer money the state is spending to settle these lawsuits,” Galloway said, in the release. “I intend to use the full authority of my office to broadly examine the finances and policies related to these payouts and the culture that may be allowing this activity to continue unchecked.”

The purpose of the audit is to provide a clear picture of the liability created by employee lawsuits throughout the state workforce.