The Desert Sun's investigation: Months of poring through thousands of records shines light on program

Desert Sun reporter Keith Matheny spent more than a year examining the Torres-Martinez Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

The investigation included reviews of nearly a decade's worth of annual audits and thousands of pages of letters, reports, e-mails and other public documents obtained through multiple requests under the federal Freedom of Information Act and the California Public Records Act.

Additionally, more than 150 audit reports from the more than 50 other Tribal TANF programs nationwide were reviewed.

Matheny interviewed current and past administrators of the Torres-Martinez tribal welfare program, past program employees, as well as state Department of Social Services officials and independent analysts.

Among those consulted was Ronald Sells, who conducted the Torres-Martinez tribe's audits from 2002 through 2005. Sells, the president of the Lynnwood, Wash.,-based Sells Group, now is a consultant who assists tribes in meeting federal audit and other requirements.

The Desert Sun also provided seven years of tribal audits to Don Mullinax, a leading government auditor and fraud investigator. He was asked to provide his review and analysis.

Mullinax, a shareholder with Forensic/Strategic Solutions in Los Angeles, has three decades of experience that includes:

Audit executive within the U.S. Army Audit Agency.

Director of contract investigations for the District of Columbia's Office of Inspector General.

Chief Investigator of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

Investigator for the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management.

Inspector general for Los Angeles Unified School District.

The Desert Sun made repeated requests to the Administration for Children and Families for an interview with agency officials regarding the Torres-Martinez Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. Officials with the federal agency declined to comment.