B.C.’s former Auditor General John Doyle has resigned as an auditor general in Australia amid an ongoing investigation into a “personal grievance” filed against him, according to Australian media.
The complaint had sparked an immediate investigation by a retired judge, which could have resulted in Doyle being removed from the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office. The investigation was slated to conclude by October.
Jacinta Allan, acting premier of the southeastern state of Victoria, told reporters on Tuesday that Doyle had tendered his resignation, according to daily newspaper The Age.
Last month, Doyle disclosed in a written statement that a “personal grievance matter” had been filed against him by one of his staff members and that an investigation would be sparked.
“I will be fully co-operating with the investigation, but will not be making any public comment while the proceedings are being undertaken,” he said in the statement.
Doyle started his term as Victoria’s auditor general in July 2013.
After Doyle left B.C. for the auditor’s job, he became locked in a complex fight with the legislature and his former office over taxpayer-paid expenses. Then, in March 2014, he filed a civil suit against the province for unpaid benefits and expenses, and for allegedly making him the subject of a smear campaign.
Doyle was an aggressive watchdog in B.C. In 2012, he released a damning report into sloppy bookkeeping, questionable spending and near non-existent transparency around the legislature's $70-million annual budget, which includes MLA expenses.
