Texas Comptroller Don Huffines is asking President Donald Trump, the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to audit state and local government entities in Texas. He said a review of his own agency found apparent failures in its employment eligibility practices.
In a statement, Huffines said the review found potential problems with completing, verifying and retaining federal Form I-9 records, which are used to verify employees' identities and authorization to work in the United States. He said the issues may date back as far as 20 years. According to a preliminary internal assessment, they could expose taxpayers to about $5 million or more in federal civil penalties.
Huffines said the early findings suggest people inside government knew about the failures and hid them. He said 90 days of auditing found the problems in one agency and that Texans should ask what is in the others.
The comptroller's office said it hired outside legal counsel to investigate. It said it will not contest legitimate penalties and has begun remediation as part of the Taxpayer First Project.