Mass. auditor says legislature is blocking voter-approved audit as case heads to SJC

State Auditor Diana DiZoglio said her office has been blocked from auditing the Massachusetts legislature despite a 2024 ballot question approved by about 72% of voters that authorized such review.

"We have been working to fulfill a 72% voter‑mandated audit of the state legislature to no avail," DiZoglio told Curious Awakenings hosts Emily and Rama, saying the office followed the attorney general’s review process to place the question on the ballot. She added that the attorney general later agreed to represent the speaker and the senate president in litigation opposing the audit, complicating the constitutional fight.

DiZoglio described a recent legal sequence in which a single justice initially denied relief and the case was later referred to the full Supreme Judicial Court. "We are in the middle of a very tough fight in the SJC right now," she said, adding concern that some judges have resisted being audited themselves and that judges’ salaries and appointment paths tie them institutionally to Beacon Hill.

Why it matters: DiZoglio framed the audit as more than an accounting exercise. "What the audit represents to people is so much more," she said. "It is the embodiment of people's distrust right now in a broken system." Her office audits state agencies including the MBTA, the Department of Children and Families and the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, which she said helps make government work more efficiently for residents.

DiZoglio recounted that the attorney general approved the ballot placement before and later accepted a budget increase; she characterized the attorney general’s subsequent decision to represent legislative leaders as part of the present controversy. She also recounted that, in prior matters, two judges declined to be audited by her office.

DiZoglio emphasized the limited scope of the auditor’s work: "We don't go in and grab their personal cell phones or toss desks. We're not the FBI. What we want to know is how they're spending our taxpayer dollars and how they're engaging in giving out state contracts." She argued that refusal to permit a simple audit raises questions about other potential uses of power.

Next steps: DiZoglio said the office will continue the legal fight and urged listeners to engage with civic processes. The Supreme Judicial Court's handling of the case will determine whether the auditor can proceed with the legislatively focused review.