(FOX 56) — Co-chairs of the Kentucky General Assembly’s legislative oversight and investigations committee commended Auditor Allison Ball for her work ahead of her testimony before a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee set for Wednesday morning.
In a news release obtained by FOX 56 News just before 5 a.m. on April 14, Rep. Scott Sharp (R-Ashland) and Sen. Greg Elkins (R-Winchester) said Ball’s work uncovered more than $1 billion in “waste, fraud, and abuse in federally funded programs in Kentucky.”
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“The fact that [Ball] has been invited to testify before Congress speaks volumes about the impact and credibility of her efforts,” the co-chairs wrote on Tuesday morning. “As co-chairs of the Legislative Oversight Committee, we commend Auditor Ball for her diligence and unwavering commitment to transparency and fiscal responsibility.”
State officials said Auditor Ball’s investigation brought alleged mismanagement to light with major programs such as Medicaid and the Transportation Cabinet, pointing out that “state government doesn’t have a funding problem, but rather our governor has a priority problem.”
“As a result of Auditor Ball’s leadership, Kentuckians have a clearer picture of how their tax dollars are being managed by the executive branch,” Rep. Sharp and Sen. Elkins said. “Her work has uncovered more than a billion dollars in waste, fraud, and abuse, including a report late last year identifying more than $830 million in incorrectly paid Medicaid claims.”
In March, a spokesperson for Gov. Andy Beshear released the following statement in response to the report: “Gov. Beshear was at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky today [Monday] announcing a more than $800 million investment in Georgetown. He has not had time to review the more than 100-page report the auditor provided directly to the media without publicly releasing, but he has certainly noticed a difference in approach between this auditor, who prioritizes bias and playing political games, from the previous auditors who respected the core auditing principles expected from the office.”
In response to Beshear’s statement, Auditor Ball’s office said that the report was sent directly to the governor’s office in advance and said she wasn’t sure why he hadn’t reviewed it.
On Tuesday, state leaders said they’d continue working to ensure that Auditor Ball’s findings led to meaningful state reform that acted in the best interest of Kentuckians. The testimony is set to take place at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 15, and will reportedly be streamed live on the House committee’s website.