Lawyers for farmers affected by an embezzlement scheme at the Ashby Farmers Cooperative Elevator in west-central Minnesota suggested this week the legislature put additional safeguards in place. Attorney Jason Lina (LIE-nuh) says the Ashby Elevator’s board members might have reviewed a report that was not an actual audit..

Lina says there currently are no requirements for audits of ag elevators. A former manager allegedly wrote checks from the Ashby Elevator totaling over five-and-a-half million dollars for personal purchases.