Two Governor candidates are calling for an outside audit of the state Mineral Resources Department.
Republican Paul Sorum and Democrat Marvin Nelson say they are concerned some mineral owners aren’t making what they should in terms of oil and gas royalties. Nelson says he’s heard from mineral owners who get their royalty checks – only to be followed up by a second check – or a notice of overpayment.
"No one can check the numbers," Nelson told Bismarck reporters. "We're not making the investment in labor and time to know the numbers are correct. that is the fundamental thing here -- we have a governmental responsibility to the people of North Dakota, to make sure the numbers are correct."
A Department spokesperson says Mineral Resources has undergone a number of audits, and no errors were found.
"We completed an audit in 2014, with very few formal findings," said the Department's Alison Ritter. "We are wrapping up another audit for the 2013-2015 biennium, and from what we've been told, there will be no formal findings as well from that audit. An audit has been done."
Sorum and Nelson say they had heard rumors of department personnel being urged to destroy records. But Ritter says those rumors aren’t true.
