The U.S. Marine Corps has passed a clean financial audit for the third consecutive year, marking what officials are calling a three-peat of fiscal accountability, Newsmax National Security Correspondent Carla Babb has confirmed.
Independent auditors verified that the Marine Corps' financial records are materially accurate, complete, and compliant with federal regulations, according to audit findings reviewed by Newsmax.
The achievement further distinguishes the Marine Corps from the rest of the War Department, which has yet to pass a clean audit.
The Marine Corps operates with one of the smallest budgets within the Department of War and does not control or account for the financial records of the ships used to transport Marines, responsibilities that fall under the Navy.
For fiscal 2025, that Marine budget was just under $54 billion, including funds for personnel, operations, procurement, and other accounts tied to the Corps' mission, said.
The fiscal 2026 request is projected to be slightly higher, about $57 billion, according to Stars & Stripes.
Auditors confirmed the Marine Corps accurately tracked and reported financial transactions across global operations, maintained proper accountability of inventory stored at facilities, and safeguarded taxpayer dollars.
A clean audit demonstrates that the Corps is a responsible steward of taxpayer funds, a standard it has now met for three straight years.
The War Department, which was then called the Defense Department, launched its first full-scale financial audit during President Donald Trump's first administration, initiated under Secretary Jim Mattis in December 2017 for fiscal 2018.
When results were released in November 2018, the department failed to receive a clean audit and has continued to fall short every year since, despite overseeing trillions of dollars in assets and representing the largest source of discretionary federal spending.
The Marine Corps became the first military branch to pass a full financial audit in 2024 for fiscal 2023 and repeated the achievement in subsequent years.
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