Audit of the State Ethics Commission (SEC)

This is a performance audit of the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission covering July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2019.

“I am pleased to provide this performance audit of the State Ethics Commission.”

The audit was done to see whether the commission followed state law requiring it to make sure certain elected officials meet ethics acknowledgment and training requirements.

“The purpose of our audit was to determine whether SEC complied with Sections 27 and 28 of Chapter 268A of the General Laws, which require SEC to ensure that elected state and county employees adhere to requirements related to the Conflict of Interest Law summary acknowledgment receipt and certification for SEC’s online training program.”

The commission’s job is to help keep government honest by enforcing conflict-of-interest and financial disclosure rules.

“The State Ethics Commission serves the public by fostering integrity in government.”

As a resident, this matters because the commission is available to give advice, take complaints, provide forms, and help enforce ethics rules for public employees.

“[Any citizen] can contact the Commission to obtain legal advice, file a complaint, obtain a statement of financial interest or conflict of interest law disclosure form, or complete statutory conflict of interest law requirements.”

The Auditor answered yes to both main questions: the commission ensured elected state and county employees submitted conflict-of-interest acknowledgments and completed online training.

“Does SEC ensure that elected state and county employees complete the online training program as required by Section 28 of Chapter 268A of the General Laws?”

The report says the commission had some minor timing issues, discussed them with auditors, and said it would improve its process so acknowledgments are submitted on time.

“SEC officials stated that they would be implementing process improvements to ensure that all acknowledgment receipts were submitted in a timely manner.”

This was a clean audit result in practical terms: auditors reviewed the commission’s work and did not find significant reportable noncompliance.

“We believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives.”

The online training teaches public employees how to spot and handle situations where their public duties could clash with private interests, such as gifts, favoritism, or personal financial benefit.

“The training explains how to recognize and properly address these situations.”