Office of the Attorney General Financial and Compliance Audit For the Two Years Ended December 31, 1998 September 1999 Office of the Attorney General Financial and Compliance Audit For the Two Years Ended December 31, 1998 September 1999 _part2 ppt

Office of the Attorney General
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However, Minn. Stat. Section 8.15, Subd. 5, directs the AGO to bill the full cost of services
provided to agencies for non-general funded activities. This is not a funding mechanism for the
AGO. Amounts collected are deposited to the General Fund as nondedicated receipts. In this
capacity, the AGO is acting on behalf of the General Fund, which financed the legal services
provided to non-general funded activities. Accordingly, for the AGO to be in compliance with
Minn. Stat. Section 8.15, Subd. 5, we believe that it must bill state agencies for the full cost of
providing legal services, including rent, for non-general funded activities. The concept of full
cost includes both direct and indirect costs associated with providing legal services.
Recommendation
• The AGO should bill the full cost of providing legal services to state agencies
for non-general funded activities.
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Chapter 3. Payroll and Other Expenditures
Chapter Conclusions
The Attorney General’s Office adequately supported and accurately recorded
its payroll and other administrative expenditures in the state’s accounting
records. In addition, for the items tested, the AGO complied with material
finance-related legal provisions and bargaining unit agreements.
The Attorney General’s Office expended approximately $35.8 million during fiscal year 1998.
The largest expenditure for the AGO was payroll, which accounted for approximately 79 percent
of total expenditures. Other expenditures included in the audit were rent, claims, supplies,
professional/technical services, and equipment. The AGO spent approximately $2.7 million on
rent, $1.1 million on claims, $821,000 on supplies, $594,000 on equipment, and $541,000 on
professional/technical services in fiscal year 1998.
Audit Objectives and Methodology
Our review of AGO payroll and other expenditures focused on the following questions:
• Did the AGO design and implement internal controls to provide reasonable assurance that
payroll and other expenditures were properly authorized, adequately supported, and

accurately recorded in the accounting records?
• Did the AGO comply with material finance-related legal provisions and applicable
bargaining unit agreements?
To answer these questions, we interviewed AGO employees to gain an understanding of the
controls over the payroll and personnel process and the procurement and disbursement process
for leases, services, supplies, and equipment. We tested a sample of the AGO’s expenditure
transactions and supporting documentation to determine if they were properly authorized,
adequately supported, and accurately recorded.
Conclusions
The Attorney General’s Office adequately supported and accurately recorded its payroll and
other expenditures in the state’s accounting records. In addition, for the items tested, the AGO
complied with material finance-related legal provisions and bargaining unit agreements.
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Status of Prior Audit Issues
As of April 2, 1999
Most Recent Audit
Legislative Audit Report 97-48, issued in September 1997, covered AGO funding sources and
revenues, fines and restitutions, federal grants, payroll, and other administrative expenditures for
the period January 1, 1995, through December 31, 1996. The report contained seven findings.
The Office of the Attorney General implemented six of the seven recommendations discussed in
the report. The AGO has made strides in establishing a process to determine an appropriate
billing rate that ensures the full recovery of legal service costs. However, full compliance has
not yet been accomplished. See our current Finding 1 in Chapter 2.
State of Minnesota Audit Follow-Up Process
The Department of Finance, on behalf of the Governor, maintains a quarterly process for following
up on issues cited in financial audit reports issued by the Legislative Auditor. The process consists
of an exchange of written correspondence that documents the status of audit findings. The follow-
up process continues until Finance is satisfied that the issues have been resolved. It covers entities
headed by gubernatorial appointees, including most state agencies, boards, commissions, and

Minnesota state colleges and universities. It is not applied to audits of the University of Minnesota,
and quasi-state organizations, such as the metropolitan agencies or the State Agricultural Society,
the state constitutional officers, or the judicial branch.
September 1, 1999
Mr. James R. Nobles
Legislative Auditor
Office of the Legislative Auditor
1st Floor South
Centennial Building
658 Cedar Street
St. Paul, MN 55155
Re: ATTORNEY GENERAL AUDIT
Dear Mr. Nobles:
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the recommendation provided in your recent
financial audit of the Attorney General’s Office. This audit covered activities in the AGO during
the two-year period ending December 31, 1998.
Enclosed is my Office’s response to the recommendation your auditors made about billing
rates.
It has been a pleasure for our staff to work with your audit team. If we can be of further
assistance, please contact me.
Very truly yours,
MIKE HATCH
Attorney General
(651)297-4272
STATE OF MINNESOTA
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
MIKE HATCH
ATTORNEY GENERAL
102 STATE CAPITOL
ST. PAUL, MN 55155-1002

TELEPHONE: (651) 296-6196
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Facsimile: (651) 297-4193 • TTY: (651) 297-7206 • Toll Free Lines: (800) 657-3787 (Voice), (800) 366-4812 (TTY) • www.ag.state.mn.us
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OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
RESPONSE TO AUDIT FINDING
Chapter 2. Funding Sources and Other Revenues
AGO Billing Rates - Finding
1. The AGO did not bill its full cost for legal service s provided to state agencies for non-
general funded activities.
Recommendation
The AGO should bill the full cost of providing legal services to state agencies for non-
general funded activities.
Response
This issue has been discussed by the AGO and the Department of Finance, most recently
during the AGO Funding Task Force and the development of billing rates for FY 2000-2001.
During the last legislative session the legislature passed a rider to the AGO budget requiring the
AGO and DOF to continue working together to determine appropriate funding for the AGO. We
anticipate discussing this issue in meetings with DOF.