REPORT DIGEST
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
COMPLIANCE EXAMINATION
For the Two Years Ended: June 30, 2011
Release Date: January 26, 2012
Summary of Findings:
Total this audit: 4
Total last audit: 9
Repeated from last audit: 3
State of Illinois, Office of the Auditor General
WILLIAM G. HOLLAND, AUDITOR GENERAL
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Office of the Auditor General, Iles Park Plaza, 740 E. Ash Street, Springfield, IL 62703
(217) 782-6046 or TTY (888) 261-2887
This Report Digest and Full Report are also available on the worldwide web at www.auditor.illinois.gov
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SYNOPSIS
• The Commission did not timely publish its decisions.
• The Commission did not notify the Secretary of State of an
employee whose position required them to file an economic interest statement.
FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
UNTIMELY PUBLICATION OF DECISIONS
The Human Rights Commission (Commission) did not timely
publish its decisions.
Five of 25 (20%) decisions tested were not published on the
Commission’s website within 120 calendar days of the disposal date. The decisions were published from 12 to 39
days late. (Finding 1, page 9) This finding
was first reported in 2007.
We recommended the Commission comply with the Illinois Human
Rights Act and publish all of its decisions within 120 calendar days.
The Commission agreed with our recommendation as it applied
to FY09/10 and stated it was due to unavailability of resources and appropriate
manpower. (For previous Commission response, see Digest Footnote #1)
FAILURE TO FILE ECONOMIC INTEREST STATEMENT
The Commission did not notify the Secretary of State of an
employee whose position required them to file an economic interest statement.
During testing, we noted an employee who functions as the
head of a department and has direct supervisory authority over the formulation,
negotiation, issuance or execution of contracts entered into by the State in
the amount of $5,000 or more was omitted from the list of employees required to
file statements of economic interest, and therefore, did not file the required
economic interest statements for FY10 or FY11with the
Secretary of State. (Finding 3, page 11)
We recommended the Commission comply with the Act and take
appropriate action to ensure required employees file economic interest
statements with the Secretary of State.
The Commission agreed with our recommendation and stated the
specific filing was done and submitted to the Cook County Clerk’s Office rather
than the Secretary of State’s office.
The Agency will in the future inform staff to direct all filings to the
Secretary of State’s office as recommended.
OTHER FINDINGS
The remaining findings are reportedly being given attention
by the Commission. We will review the
Commission’s progress toward implementation of our recommendations in our next
examination.
AUDITORS’ OPINION
We conducted a compliance examination of the Commission as
required by the Illinois State Auditing Act.
The Commission has no funds that require an audit leading to an opinion
of financial statements.
WILLIAM G. HOLLAND
Auditor General
WGH:PH:pp
AUDITORS ASSIGNED
The compliance examination was performed by the Auditor
General’s staff.
DIGEST FOOTNOTE
#1 – UNTIMELY PUBLICATION OF DECISIONS
2009: Commission officials partially agreed with the finding and stated there was only one staff in the Office of the General Counsel from July 2007 to December 2007 and no staff in December 2008 to process the notices.