Washington State Auditor's Office

The Washington State Auditor's Office (SAO) is the independent government agency responsible for conducting financial and performance audits of state agencies, local governments, school districts, and other public entities within Washington. Its primary function is to provide objective assessments of how public funds are managed, ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and accounting standards. By issuing audit reports and recommendations, the SAO helps improve transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the use of taxpayer resources across the state.

Operating under the executive branch of Washington state government, the SAO is led by an elected State Auditor who serves a four‑year term and reports directly to the citizens of Washington. The office’s statutory mandate covers a broad spectrum of governmental activities, ranging from routine financial statement examinations to specialized investigations of fraud, waste, and abuse. This oversight role positions the SAO as a key check on governmental operations, reinforcing public trust through its non‑partisan, evidence‑based evaluations.

In December 2020 the SAO experienced a significant data breach when threat actors exploited a zero‑day vulnerability in Accellion’s legacy file transfer service. The incident exposed sensitive personal information from approximately 1.6 million unemployment claims, along with additional files from local governments and state agencies, including names, Social Security numbers, driver’s license or state identification numbers, bank account details, and workplace data. The office was notified by Accellion in late January 2021, prompting an ongoing investigation into the full scope of the impact and coordination with law enforcement and the vendor to mitigate further risk. This event highlighted the importance of robust cybersecurity controls even for agencies focused primarily on financial oversight.