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Office of Public Accountability: most audits issued; DOE and government‑wide FY24 audit delayed pending DOE trial balance
Summary
Public Auditor BJ Cruz reported at the session that the OPA has issued about 15 audits recently but the DOE audit remains delayed because DOE only recently provided a trial balance; OPA warned that DOE staffing and accounting capacity need investment and that the government‑wide FY24 audit may slip into the next calendar year.
Public Auditor BJ Cruz told the committee that auditors have issued roughly 15 audits in the last month but that finalizing the FY24 DOE and government‑wide audits remains delayed. Cruz said DOE recently reassigned internal audit staff to assist its financial services division, a step that produced a trial balance that OPA can begin auditing, but he warned the DOE audit may not be ready until December and the government‑wide audit may not be complete until January.
Cruz told senators the recurring top finding across recent audits is the need for stronger accounting divisions and more certified accountants at large agencies such as DOE and DOA: "They’re handling billions of dollars a year, and so they really need people. Otherwise, we're always going to be late," Cruz said. Senators and agency officials discussed the implications for FY26 planning because audited FY24 results will not be available to benchmark or validate some FY26 assumptions.
Committee members asked for follow‑up and OPA recommended targeted investments in accounting capacity at major agencies to reduce recurring audit findings and shorten audit timelines.
