Huskey seeks appointment as Auditor General

May 5, 2025 23

SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Legislative Audit Commission (LAC) will have to select a new Auditor General, as current Auditor General Frank Mautino states that he isn’t seeking a second term, opting instead for retirement.

Amidst that news, a Springfield man who previously worked in the Auditor General’s office is now seeking the position he once worked under.

A news release received Friday noted that Thaddeus Huskey is putting his name into consideration for the LAC to appoint as its fourth Auditor General.

Huskey worked in the Auditor General’s office from 2008 to 2015, where he started as an intern, advancing to an audit supervisor. He has worked on over 60 audits of various state agencies, such as the Department of Healthcare and Family Services and the Department of Natural Resources, among many others.

He would depart from the office in late 2015 to work briefly at the Illinois Department of Insurance as its Chief Internal Auditor, where he applied his prior experience, advising Department management on corrective action plans to remedy several audit findings.

After passing his Certified Public Accountant exam in 2017, Huskey became the Chief Fiscal Officer for the Illinois Attorney General’s office.

Huskey notes that he finds his work in the Attorney General’s office rewarding. When he is not in court every day fighting for consumers or prosecuting those who exploit children, he’s working in the background managing the Attorney General’s office budget of $193 million, ensuring their attorneys can perform the important work they do on behalf of the people of Illinois.

He also notes that his experience managing the Attorney General’s office budget shows that it gives him the confidence to manage the Auditor General’s office budget of $46 million.

An Auditor General not grounded in politics, and is a CPA?

Since the Auditor General’s office was established in the Illinois Constitution in 1970, no Auditor General has been a Certified Public Accountant or has had prior hands-on experience in government regarding auditing and fiscal management in a state agency.

“With so many losing faith in governmental institutions, transparency and accountability are more important than ever,” said Huskey in the news release.

Huskey notes that now is the time for an Auditor General to be appointed who didn’t come from a political background, but rather someone who has worked closely with state government and can show practical experience in government auditing and accounting. He also noted that this candidate should be someone the public can trust to deliver timely, accurate, unbiased, and reliable audit reports with meaningful recommendations to make the Illinois government work better for the people.

Huskey, originally from Vandalia, received undergraduate degrees in accounting and business administration from the University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS). He continued his education at UIS and received a graduate degree in accounting.

A 17-year veteran working in state government, he would bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Auditor General’s office.

Huskey worked in the office under the late former Auditor General William G. Holland, who led the office with purpose and helped shape it into one of the most respected offices in state government.

Resolving employee turnover, retention, and institutional knowledge retention

Huskey is aware of the high employee turnover due to staff leaving the Auditor General’s office for other state agencies for higher salaries. He has stated this is a priority for resolution.

If appointed to the role, he will work with the General Assembly to address the employee retention issues and implement measures to help preserve the vital institutional knowledge that remains, but also to recruit and retain new, talented auditors going forward.

It is, unfortunately, not the only factor, as the continual loss of experienced auditors is contributing to significant delays in the completion of audits.

Huskey notes that the Statewide Single Audit and the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for fiscal years 2023-24 and 2024-25 have not been completed.

“For audits and financial reports to be useful for decision making by relevant stakeholders, they must be issued in a timely manner,” Huskey stated.

“I point out these challenges, not to criticize the Auditor General’s office, but to note that I am aware of the challenges facing the next Auditor General upon taking office, and I will meet those challenges with ambition and determination to overcome them,” he also noted.

The next selection would become the fourth Auditor General since the office was established. Mautino will remain in his role until the end of his term on January 1, 2026.

The LAC selection for Auditor General will need to be confirmed by the Illinois General Assembly.

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Jake Leonard

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Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.