Greg Ryberg Calls for LAC Audit of the Employment Security Commission
December 31st, 2008Senator Greg Ryberg (R – Aiken) today declared that he will next week send a request to the Legislative Audit Council (LAC) for an audit of the Employment Security Commission (ESC) based upon the very serious charges raised by Governor Sanford.
Senator Ryberg said that, “I applaud Governor Sanford for taking steps today to ensure that South Carolina citizens continue to receive their unemployment compensation. I also applaud him equally as loud for raising the issue of transparency in regards to the operations of the ESC. I am disappointed that the ESC refuses to allow the state’s watchdog to scrutinize its operations and further refuses to share basic information with other agencies.”
Senator Ryberg noted that other agencies have likewise proclaimed their innocence only to have the LAC uncover problems in an audit. Ryberg said that, “I have seen this movie before, and it was called the Department of Transportation. They too declared themselves sound and above reproach. The LAC audit, however, revealed a pattern of misfeasance and obfuscation that eventually led to major reform. The ESC may or may not have similar problems, but their refusal to open their books is troubling at best.”
Senator Ryberg, chairman of the Senate Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee, which is the committee of jurisdiction over ESC, pledged to hold hearings upon the release of the audit. “I will use the LAC audit to examine the agency and make the changes necessary to ensure that not only will it, in the future, conduct itself properly but also that it will never again allow South Carolina citizens to end up in this precarious position.”
