Former Secretary of State Matt Dunlap is making another run at the position of State Auditor after he was forced to resign the post in 2021 when he failed to acquire the credentials necessary to hold the position.
When Dunlap was first sworn into the job in 2021, state law provided him 9 months to become a certified public accountant, which he needed to do in order to keep the position.
Dunlap failed the CPA tests, so Senate President Troy Jackson (D-Allagash) appointed Jacob Norton to keep the seat warm while he took another stab at the exam.
Now, Norton has “stepped back” from the job, allowing Jackson to re-appoint the now-credentialed Dunlap.
The Officer of the State Auditor, which Dunlap now heads, again, but for real this time, is charged with auditing all manner of government programs, making sure money is spent properly and state programs are functioning.
The office’s findings are typically published in a single report at the end of the fiscal year. During his time in office, Norton published one of those reports for 2021, while Dunlap published the 2020 report despite not having the credentials to hold the office.
In 2021, when Dunlap had to step down, he didn’t leave state work entirely. His total compensation from the state that year was $121,684, while Norton’s total compensation for 2021 was $104,362, according to compensation data made public by the State.