State Auditor Jim Zeigler Suing over State Accounting Software

State Auditor Jim Zeigler is filing a lawsuit to try to void a contract for what he called the state’s “failed” accounting software.

Zeigler filed the lawsuit Thursday in Montgomery circuit court, claiming the state violated competitive bid law with the contract

The State of Alabama Accounting and Resource System, or STAARS, is the state’s new accounting system that handles state financial transactions. The debut of the system last year was riddled with glitches and left the state with a backlog of unpaid bills. Zeigler said state agencies have also been unable to pay each other

State officials said previously the problems are close to being resolved.

The lawsuit names Gov. Robert Bentley, the acting finance director and the vendor as defendants.

A spokeswoman for Bentley declined to comment.

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