Otto hits Anderson for finance errors in auditors race

Rebecca Otto, Pat Anderson

State Auditor Rebecca Otto criticized her opponent, former Republican State Auditor Pat Anderson, for a number of errors on Anderson’s campaign finance reports. Otto says Anderson has made numerous accounting errors in both her campaign records and during her time as auditor.

Otto alleges that Anderson has made errors in campaign reports dating back to 2002, including a recent filing from 2009. Otto also says that she has found errors in Anderson’s accounting while Anderson was auditor. Anderson lost to Otto in 2006.

“Anyone can make a mistake, but Pat Anderson has a consistent pattern of errors in the numbers, both in and out of office,” Otto said in a press release Monday. “We can’t afford a State Auditor who makes error after error, year after year, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.”

To back up her claims, Otto provided documentation of her claims which can be viewed on her campaign website.

For instance, on Anderson’s filings for her run for governor, she “misstates her ending cash balance,” Otto says. “The reporting form instructs candidates to subtract the total campaign expenses of $26,420.99 from total receipts of $29,659.00. Pat Anderson says that number is $3,584.66, but actually doing the math gives a different number: $3,238.01.”