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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1859 | 3 |
| 1861 | 2 |
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 3 |
| 1877 | 4 |
| 1878 | 2 |
| 1883 | 1 |
| 1885 | 1 |
| 1887 | 1 |
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1890 | 3 |
| 1891 | 4 |
| 1892 | 11 |
| 1893 | 10 |
| 1894 | 3 |
| 1895 | 19 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1903 | 6 |
| 1904 | 3 |
| 1909 | 2 |
| 1910 | 1 |
| 1918 | 2 |
| 1922 | 1 |
| 1923 | 1 |
| 1924 | 1 |
| 1925 | 1 |
51 stories matching audit
- The Battle Over Public Health
A heated public dispute erupts between the Seattle Board of Health and the City Council’s Auditing Committee over the costs of a recent smallpox outbreak.
- The State Must Pay the Men It Called to Put Down the King County Riots
The Washington Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Gov. Ferry's National Guard troops were in state service during the King County riots—and that the state, not the soldiers, must bear the cost.
- A County Treasurer’s Bond With Too Many Holes
Seattle’s newly elected county treasurer filed a surety bond riddled with defects, withdrawn signatures and backers who pledged more than they could justify.
- The Ghost Relief Recipients
A Seattle charity secretary is caught creating fake relief applications to steal funds, revealing a rot in the city's aid system.
- The Industrial Grasp on Public Space
A Seattle business owner petitions to close a city block to make room for his growing lumber factory, sparking a debate on private gain versus public infrastructure.
- The $3,430 Hole in Spokane's County Books
A three-month audit finds ex-County Clerk Downing $3,430 short and his records 'kept in a very loose manner.' The National Guard captain and rising Spokane politician is held for embezzlement.
- County Commissioners Hunt Down Missing Treasurer’s Funds
A forensic audit reveals that former Yakima County Treasurer John A. Splawn left a deficit of over a thousand dollars, sparking a legal demand for repayment from his estate.
- The Water Works Scandal
Ex-superintendent W. E. Wilson fights back against corruption allegations and his former board.
- The Mayor's Ethical Tightrope
Mayor Weatherwax refuses to step down following a dispute over municipal payments to his own lumber company.
- The Million-Dollar Water Heist
A scathing audit reveals that Tacoma taxpayers were bilked out of over a million dollars in a rigged water works acquisition deal.
- City Hall's Quarantine Deadlock
As the Board of Health scrambles to map an imaginary quarantine line for cholera, the city's inability to pay for basic sanitation has created a public health crisis.
- A Costly Pursuit of Justice in Clallam County
County commissioners face backlash for spending more on legal fees than the amount they hope to recover from a former treasurer.
- A Backroom Coup in Montesano: County Democrats Oust Their Chairman
Party leaders declared every office vacant while F. D. Arnold was absent, then elected Edmund Croft to replace him.
- Corruption Charges in Snohomish County
The Snohomish County Attorney charges commissioners with 'malfeasance, misfeasance, corruption, and misdemeanor' in a sweeping legal bid to remove them from office.
- The Mayor's Ultimatum to the Board of Health
Mayor J.T. Ronald demands the resignation of the Health Board after they refuse to fire the health officer for being 'opprobrious.'
- Railroad Giant Swallows Sound Steamship Line
Northern Pacific Railroad absorbs the Puget Sound & Alaska Steamship Company to consolidate management and slash operating costs.
- County Surveyor Ames Accused of Skimming Wages
A scathing editorial calls for the immediate removal of County Surveyor Ames for payroll fraud.
- The City and County Spar Over Who Pays for the Poor
Mayor Ronald and health officials grapple with a budget crisis over the medical care of impoverished residents, highlighting the administrative friction in 1890s Seattle.
- City Treasurer Decamps as Embezzlement Scandal Rocks Seattle
City Treasurer Adolph Krug has fled the city after an audit revealed a $20,000 deficit in his accounts.
- Aberdeen Banker Arrested While Auditing His Own Failed Bank
C. T. Wooding, called in to untangle the defunct Aberdeen bank's books, is charged with perjury — and the town cries foul.
- The Campaign to Defend John H. McGraw
Prominent citizens and former associates testify to the character of the Republican sheriff as rumors of past gambling and dishonesty circulate on the campaign trail.
- The Populist Takes the County Treasury
After a long bond fight, J. W. Maple finally took control of King County's money—and the temporary treasurer resigned rather than stand in the way.
- The Phantom Section Hands of the Northern Pacific
A roadmaster at Cle Elum is arrested for padding six railroad crews with fictitious workers—until a foreman’s conscience, and the auditors, caught up with him.
- The Treasurer’s Bond Had a Hole in It
Seattle’s treasurer-elect filed a $90,000 bond, but wives’ names were penciled in, signatures were missing, and one backer wanted out.
- The Political Hatchet Job That Failed
A Port Townsend city treasurer finds himself the victim of a coordinated, sensationalist smear campaign—only for the local press to walk it back.