Auditor wants retraction from L.A. Times

The Los Angeles County Auditor-Controller has requested a formal correction and clarification by the Los Angeles Times regarding an article posted online at 1:29 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10, 2012, entitled, "Audit slams L.A. County child welfare agency for improper spending." The article states in the first paragraph: "Forty percent of employees at Los Angeles County's troubled child welfare agency improperly received mileage reimbursement from taxpayers on days they did not work, according to a random sample of reimbursement reports examined by the county auditor-controller." The suggestion that forty percent, or some 1,200 employees, at the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) were improperly reimbursed is inaccurate and misrepresents the audit's findings. The audit, released Wednesday by the Auditor-Controller, clearly states that a sample was taken of just 20 employees, with improper conduct found in eight cases.

********** Published: April 19, 2012 - Volume 11 - Issue 01