Allen Proposes State Fraud Task Force
Lt. Governor candidate Wes Allen says Alabama must take a stronger approach to uncovering fraud and protecting taxpayer dollars
Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen says he wants Alabama to take a more aggressive approach to rooting out fraud in State government if he is elected the next Lieutenant Governor.
Allen announced a proposal this week to create a Statewide task force focused solely on identifying fraud and financial abuse involving taxpayer money.
“We see fraud being uncovered all over the country and it would be naïve to believe that we do not have similar incidents happening here,” Allen said. “As Lt. Governor, I will make identifying the fraud that steals money from Alabama taxpayers a priority by working with the legislature to stand up a task force with fraud identification as a sole focus.”
Allen’s proposed task force would combine public and private sector experience. He said the group would include specialists in accounting, business operations and forensic investigations, alongside employees from State agencies.
Allen argued that bringing outside expertise into State government could help uncover waste and fraud that may otherwise go unnoticed.
Allen says private sector professionals with backgrounds in finance, accounting and business functions could provide “new methods and fresh sets of eyes” while working with agency personnel already familiar with how State departments operate.
The announcement comes as Allen continues his runoff campaign against John Wahl in one of Alabama’s highest-profile Republican primary contests. The runoff election is scheduled for June 16 after neither candidate secured more than 50 percent of the vote in the May primary.
Allen has centered much of his Statewide political career on election integrity and government oversight. Since taking office as Secretary of State in 2023, he has promoted voter roll maintenance efforts and launched Alabama’s Voter Integrity Database (AVID) after withdrawing the State from the Electronic Registration Information Center, commonly known as ERIC.
Allen was elected Alabama Secretary of State in 2022 after previously serving as Probate Judge in Pike County and as a member of the Alabama House of Representatives.
For more information, visit https://wesallenforalabama.com.
