Blowing the whistle on the folk behind the whistle-blower hotline

Arlene wants to know about the California state auditor. Specifically, who audits them?

I had no idea, so I went right to the top: State Auditor Elaine Howle.

She told me her office focuses primarily on making sure that public-sector finances and operations are on the up and up.

It also runs the state’s whistle-blower hotline, which allows state workers and others to report instances of fraud or waste. Howle said all such calls are confidential.

As to Arlene’s question, the state auditor’s office is overseen by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, along with a handful of independent auditors.

For more, check out today’s Ask Laz video. And if you have a tip for the whistle-blower hotline, the number to call is (800) 952-5665.

Got a consumer question? Email me at asklaz@latimes.com or contact me via Twitter: @Davidlaz.