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Q&A
Status update on 2021 and 2023 election cycle audits
2:40:52
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147 sec
Paul Seamus Ryan, Executive Director of the CFB, provides an update on the status of audits from the 2021 and 2023 election cycles. He explains the current progress and the staffing changes to support the audit process.
- 27 final audit reports sent out in the last 30 days
- For 2021: 43% of audits completed (186 out of 431 campaigns)
- For 2023: 56 out of 99 campaigns have received draft audit reports, 20 audits completed
- Audit team headcount increasing from 52 to 61 in the coming months
Lincoln Restler
2:40:52
You know, I appreciate the goal of completing 90% of the audits within a year of the primary election that we're about to hold.
2:41:02
Could you just share an update with us on the status of audits from the twenty one and twenty three cycles?
2:41:27
The budgeted headcount increased from 60 to 61, is that right?
Paul Seamus Ryan
2:41:07
Yeah.
2:41:07
I'm happy to do so.
2:41:09
I'll also make one more note about staffing on that team which is that our active headcount right now is 52.
2:41:15
We're heading to a twenty twenty six headcount of 61.
2:41:19
So we will be adding nine new staff to the audit team in the coming months.
2:41:25
So we have some vacancy Vacancy,
2:41:30
Correct.
2:41:31
So we go from active of 52 presently to budgeted headcount for 2025 of 60.
2:41:39
We're adding one to 60 But those will be nine new hires in the coming months, six months to a year.
2:41:45
In terms of the current status, we have sent out 27 final audit reports in the last thirty days.
2:41:52
That's the good news.
2:41:53
We are working through the backlog from 2021 and 2023.
2:41:59
Right now we have distributed draft audit reports almost 100%.
2:42:06
We're at I think 97% of draft audit reports which as you know from conversations I've had with you in prior hearings, most of the audit work actually takes place in the lead up to the production of the draft audit report.
2:42:19
The stages that happen after the draft audit report, a draft audit report response that comes from the campaign is analyzed by our auditors and then referred to legal, and they take things over the finish line in collaboration with our auditors by disposing of the audit in a variety of different ways including payment or repayment notices, closeout letters, issuance of final audit reports or enforcement notices, issuance of enforcement notices.
2:42:46
Right now for 2021 we have completed 43% of our audits, 186 out of four thirty one campaigns.
2:42:55
But again, so we're between 97 plus percent have gotten their draft audit reports so we're taking the rest over the finish line.
2:43:04
But 43% have crossed the finish line.
2:43:07
For 2023 we have issued draft audit reports in 56 out of 99 campaigns and we have completed 20 audits so far from 2023.
Félix Matos Rodríguez
2:41:27
that's right.