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- Material Weakness (new) — The filing discloses a prior material weakness in internal controls, though it was remediated as of September 29, 2024.
Lee Enterprises swaps auditors: BDO out, Grant Thornton in after fiscal 2026
Filed September 9, 2026 · Period ending September 2, 2026 · ~1 min read
Key Changes
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medium
Audit Committee dismissed BDO as independent auditor, effective after completion of the fiscal 2026 audit and Form 10-K filing.
Item 4.01 verify on EDGAR → -
medium
Grant Thornton appointed as successor auditor for fiscal 2027, subject to customary client acceptance procedures.
Item 4.01 verify on EDGAR → -
medium
Prior material weakness in internal controls over revenue transactions existed through June 23, 2024, but was remediated as of September 29, 2024.
Item 4.01 verify on EDGAR → -
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BDO's audit reports for fiscal 2025 and 2024 were clean, with no adverse opinions or qualifications.
Item 4.01 verify on EDGAR →
Summary
Lee Enterprises is changing its independent auditor. The Audit Committee dismissed BDO USA, effective after BDO completes the fiscal 2026 audit and the company files its Form 10-K. Grant Thornton has been appointed as the successor auditor for fiscal 2027, subject to its standard client acceptance procedures. The change follows a competitive evaluation process for potential audit firm rotation.
The filing notes that BDO's prior audit reports were clean, with no adverse opinions or qualifications. However, it also notes it has identified material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting in the past and may do so again that existed through June 23, 2024, related to revenue transactions. That weakness was remediated as of September 29, 2024. For investors, the auditor change is a governance event worth noting, but the prior material weakness—though remediated—is a reminder of past control issues.
Section-by-Section Diff
Event · Item 4.01 — Changes in Registrant's Certifying Accountant
Item 4.01 — Changes in Registrant's Certifying Accountant filed; see Key Changes for terms.
Show 1 minor / wording change
Added in current filing · verify on EDGAR →
BDO’s reports on the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years ended September 28, 2025 and September 29, 2024 did not contain an adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion and were not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles.
BDO's audit reports for the two most recent fiscal years were clean, with no adverse opinions, disclaimers, or qualifications. This indicates no disagreements over accounting principles or audit scope.
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Figures/quotes linked to EDGAR · Narrative written by AI · Sep 9, 2026 · How we verify