Pentagon’s Audit Woes Seen Lessening Despite Seventh Shortfall

The US Defense Department failed for the seventh straight year to score a clean financial audit, highlighting the challenge of tracking the finances of a sprawling organization that has some $3.8 trillion in assets and $4 trillion in liabilities.

Auditors overseen by the Pentagon Inspector General once again declared the department’s finances were too messy to offer an opinion on whether its books were in order. But the Pentagon said it at least has a better grasp of the problem.