Campaign finance reports filed by state and local officials in Georgia are often riddled with mistakes and discrepancies, with some leaving tens of thousands of dollars in campaign cash apparently unaccounted for, an Atlanta newspaper investigation shows.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Saturday that it found the errors after examining hundreds of financial reports filed by a dozen state and local officials over the last decade.
The newspaper said it reviewed reports from six state and six local officials, equally divided between Democrats and Republicans. It found apparent mistakes in the reports filed on behalf of 10 of the 12, ranging from a few dollars to tens of thousands.
The newspaper said that doesn't prove campaign money is missing or was used improperly. It attributed many problems to sloppy paperwork or bad math.
Georgia law requires political candidates to file detailed reports on what they raise and spend.
Government watchdogs tell the newspaper that the problem that should alarm Georgia residents.
"If a candidate for office can't accurately complete their campaign finance disclosure, that should be a huge red flag that they probably aren't up to par for the job," said Clint Murphy, chairman of Common Cause Georgia.
After the newspaper contacted the officials about discrepancies on their campaign reports, some said they're auditing their records and will file amended reports, if necessary. Some acknowledged mistakes and pledged to do better.
The newspaper's findings are in line those of the state ethics commission. The agency began random audits of campaign disclosures this year and found significant problems in 31 of the 53 audits it's done so far. They included failing to file reports, filing late or failure to disclose contributor information.