Blog: When Good Accountants Go Bad, More Questions Are Raised Than Answered

In his blog, IIA President and CEO Richard Chambers, CIA, QIAL, CGAP, CCSA, CRMA, shares his personal reflections and insights on the internal audit profession. Here’s an excerpt from his latest post:

I’m sure I visibly cringed when I read news accounts of criminal charges being brought against former U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) and KPMG employees, who are accused of using leaked PCAOB information to help the Big Four firm improve its audit results.

These charges are unproven in a court of law and all of those charged deserve the presumption of innocence at this point. However, the mere allegation that such a betrayal of ethics took place is painful, and it delivers a black eye on the accounting/auditing professions. Yet, it certainly is not without precedent. I’ve written many times that good people do bad things, and smart people do stupid things. It is part of the human condition — that imperfection that makes us who we are. However, what is alleged in this instance takes us a step beyond simple human error or irresponsibility. It actually raises more questions than it answers.

Read the full InternalAuditor.org blog post from IIA President and CEO Richard Chambers.