Anyone who is a part of, or interacts with, State government who may have relevant information, including State employees, State contractors, and Michigan citizens.

No. We review all information submitted to our office to determine whether there may be an issue falling within our jurisdiction and appropriate for follow-up, even if submitted anonymously. However, if you choose to not identify yourself, our ability to follow up on your allegation may be limited.

The OAG will keep your identity confidential to the extent allowed by law. We may refer allegations of fraud, waste, or abuse to law enforcement authorities or other governmental entities with appropriate jurisdiction. We review each allegation to determine whether we will pursue an investigative audit or pass it on to another appropriate entity. For example, your allegation may be provided to one or more of the following entities:

The agency involved in your allegation.

The Office of Internal Audit Services (OIAS) within the Michigan Department of Technology, Management, and Budget.

The Office of Inspector General within the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Any other State or federal inspector general.

The Michigan Attorney General and local law enforcement, including State's Attorneys.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The U.S. Attorney's Offices.

The OAG will not identify you when referring your allegation to the agency involved or to OIAS without your consent. Whistleblower protections may be available to you if your identity is revealed some other way and you suffer retaliation as a result of your allegation.

The OAG is not a law enforcement agency. If you believe you have evidence of a crime involving a State official, employee, or contractor, you can report your information to the OAG for our investigation and we will coordinate with the appropriate law enforcement agencies if necessary. You can also report your information directly to an appropriate law enforcement agency. Depending upon the nature of your allegation, reporting might be directed to the Michigan Attorney General, a U.S. Attorney's Office or the Federal Bureau of Investigation (particularly if federal funds are involved), or the local State's Attorney.

Generally, no. If you have given us your name and contact information, we will contact you if we need further information in order to follow up on your allegation. Pursuant to our rules and professional standards, information acquired or developed as part of an ongoing audit is treated as confidential until the conclusion of the audit to which the information pertains. Once completed and released, our audit reports are public documents published on our website. Any findings resulting from allegations received and investigated by the OAG would be included in those public reports.

Not always. As auditors, we must consider risk and materiality in scoping our investigative audits. Allegations that, even if true, appear immaterial or insignificant from a monetary or operational standpoint may be referred back to the State agency involved in the allegation for its consideration of future changes in policy or procedure and/or to the Office of Internal Audit Services within the Michigan Department of Technology, Management, and Budget.

Pursuant to Michigan statute, the agency involved in an allegation is required to take adequate and appropriate action to investigate and remedy any fraud, waste, or abuse discovered as a result of the referral. Even if the OAG does not pursue a specific allegation, we may forward the information contained in the allegation to our Bureau of Audit Operations for its consideration of the subject matter when planning the next audit or examination of the agency involved in the allegation.

No. Many State agencies have administrative processes that you may use to appeal decisions they make that affect you. If you pursue these processes and are still dissatisfied, you may wish to consider obtaining private legal counsel. The OAG cannot give legal advice.