The State Auditor of Missouri is part of the same governmental unit (i.e., the state) as the University of Missouri. Hence he or she could not meet the AICPA criteria of independence. The GAO standards have addressed this apparent conflict by stating that a government audit organization may be considered independent as long as it is:

• From a different branch (e.g., legislative, executive) of the government than the particular units that it is to examine; or

• Is headed by an auditor who is elected by the citizens of the government’s jurisdiction or who is accountable to the government’s legislative body.

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