If the State Auditor shall find that any officer or head of a department of the State government willfully or negligently fails or refuses to keep or have kept such accounts, render such reports or perform such other duties as may be prescribed or directed by the State Comptroller, or fails or refuses to comply with the provisions of this article, he shall notify such officer or head of a department in writing of such failure and the particulars thereof, and the officer or head of a department shall promptly respond in writing to each specific failure. If such failure should not be explained to the satisfaction of the State Auditor, he shall notify the State Comptroller and the presiding officer of each house of the Legislature of such failure and the State Comptroller shall take such action against such officer or head of a department as he may be authorized to do under any law or laws of this State.
N.J.S. § 52:24-8