Hotline FAQ’s
What types of complaints does the Office of the State Auditor investigate?
What types of complaints does the Office of the State Auditor NOT investigate?
What Information and Data Do I Need to Provide?
What is the Screening and Prioritization Process?
Do I qualify for Whistleblower protection?
Will my identity be protected?
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What Types of Complaints Does the Office of the State Auditor Investigate?
We investigate improper governmental activities which are subject to our authority, including:
- Waste or misuse of public funds, property, or manpower
- Violations of a law, rule, or regulation applicable to the government
- Gross mismanagement
- Abuse of authority
- Unethical conduct
(For further information, see the sections on this webpage related to the screening and prioritization process and the types of complaints which we do not investigate).
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What Types of Complaints Does the Office of the State Auditor NOT Investigate?
All submissions to the Hotline are taken seriously and reviewed by experienced members of the audit staff. However, some complaints should be submitted to other entities, so please review the list below to make sure the Office is the correct destination for your concerns.
| Type of complaint | Contact |
| Violations of Utah Code 52 – 4, the Open and Public Meetings Act (OPMA) | |
| Unethical conduct by executive branch, legislative branch, or political subdivision officials |
The applicable Ethics Commission investigates allegations of certain unethical conduct by public officials. See information about what types of allegations they investigate and contact information at ethics.utah.gov
|
| State employee personnel grievances | If you are a state employee and have a personnel grievance with your state employer, contact the Career Service Review Board at (385) 346-8551 to resolve your grievance. |
| Complaints involving the Office of Recovery Services (ORS) | For Department of Human Services, Office of Recovery Services (ORS) complaints, you must first contact ORS Customer Service/Quality Assurance (801) 536-8500. |
| Misuse of State fleet vehicles | Contact the Division of Fleet Operations for complaints regarding inappropriate actions or use of a state-owned vehicle at the Division of Fleet Operations website: http://fleet.utah.gov/contact-us or call Fleet Operations at (801) 957-7263.You may contact the Office of the State Auditor for complaints regarding vehicles owned by other government entities in Utah, i.e. cities, towns, etc. |
| State entity contract award disputes | Contact the Division of Purchasing on their website: https://purchasing.utah.gov/ or call (801) 957-7160.Resources: Utah Code 63G-6a Chapter 6a – Utah Procurement Code |
| Disputes over access to government records (GRAMA-related issues) | Refer to the Division of Archives website for procedures applicable to relevant government entities.Resources: http://archives.utah.gov/recordsmanagement/government-records-law.html |
| Concerns with Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) Cases | The Office of Child Protection Ombudsman (OCPO) is an independent office within the Department of Human Services (DHS) and is not part of DCFS. OCPO will investigate complaints regarding DCFS and help resolve concerns about the protection of children who are receiving services from DCFS. They can be contacted at (801) 538-4589 or (800) 868- 6413. |
| Misconduct by Utah Law Enforcement Officers |
Contact Peace Officer Standards and Training at post.utah.gov/contact/
|
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We request that complaints be submitted in writing using the Hotline Reporting Form. Use of this form helps complainants effectively communicate essential information regarding the complaint to our office
Complainants should also submit any evidence that supports the complaint at this time. Due to limited resources our office is unable to accept complaints that are not specific in nature or that are not well supported by credible evidence. At a minimum, please use the form as a guide to ensure the necessary information is provided.
If you have questions, please contact the Hotline team.
Email: auditorhotline@utah.gov
US Mail: OSA Hotline, PO Box 142310, SLC, Utah 84114-2310
Complainants may call the hotline at 801-538-9777 for more information.
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What Information and Data Do I Need to Provide?
An important step in establishing the significance of reported concerns is to provide credible information and substantiated data with each complaint. Essential information includes specifics on ‘who, what, where, when’ as well as any other details that may be important such as information on other witnesses, documents, and pertinent evidence.
Providing specific examples and documentation that directly support the reported allegations will increase the likelihood that the Office will be able to pursue the complainant’s concerns. If the complaint is too broad, vague, or unsubstantiated, we will not be able to perform an effective investigation and the complaint will likely be declined.
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What is the Screening and Prioritization Process?
We screen and prioritize complaints based on significance, internal resources, and other factors. The following represents some of the factors that are considered during the screening and prioritization process.
- Does the complaint involve actions by an entity subject to the Office of the State Auditor’s authority? The entity must be a Utah State Agency, Local Government Entity, County, City, Town, Special Service or Local District, Local Education Agency (School District, Public School, or Charter School), other non-federal public entity (Court, College, University, etc.), or certain not-for-profit entities.
- Does the complaint pertain to improper governmental activities? Disagreements with management decisions or actions taken by elected officials that are within the law will not be investigated.
- Has the complainant taken appropriate steps to resolve the issue with the entity? If the entity is not responsive, the concern relates to top management, or the complainant desires anonymity, the Hotline may be contacted first.
- What is the timing and frequency of alleged improper activity? Allegations of improper activities that are recent and/or on-going may receive a higher priority.
- Should the allegation be investigated by another entity? In some cases, we may refer complaints to internal/external auditors or other entities, as considered appropriate. We will generally discuss these options with the complainant.
- Can the complaint can be efficiently and effectively investigated? Overly broad or vague complaints or complaints where evidence is unavailable may be declined or receive a low priority.
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Do I Qualify for Whistleblower Protection?
Utah Code § 67-21-3 prohibits public employers from taking adverse action against their employees for reporting government waste or violations of law in good faith, to the appropriate authorities. A public entity employee, public body employee, legislative employee, or judicial employee, is presumed to have communicated in good faith if they have given written notice or otherwise formally communicated the conduct to the Office of the State Auditor (see Utah Code § 67-21-3(1)(b)(iv)(A) for more information).
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Will My Identity Be Protected?
The identity of the complainant is considered protected information under the Utah Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA) and will be kept confidential if requested by the complainant. (See Utah Code Section 67‑3‑1(17)).
Complaints may be submitted anonymously to the Hotline. However, we prefer that the complainant provide their name and phone number to allow us to ask follow-up questions, investigate the complaint thoroughly, and report the results back to the complainant. Also, anonymous complaints do not invoke the Whistleblower protections.