Oct 11, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Delaware state auditor indicted on misconduct, theft

Ivana Saric

Juror box — Photo: Jamie Rector/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Delaware State Auditor Kathleen McGuiness has been indicted by a grand jury on five criminal charges, including two felonies, state Attorney General Kathy Jennings' office announced Monday.

Details: McGuiness is accused of signing and concealing a state contract with a campaign consultant, unfairly putting her daughter on the state's payroll and surveilling employees’ emails to track and intimidate potential whistleblowers.

Driving the news: "Our investigation revealed a long trail of corruption, nepotism, official misconduct, intimidation, and fraud that implicated thousands of taxpayer dollars — all from an elected official who is supposed to be a watchdog for exactly this kind of misbehavior," Jennings wrote in a news release.

"We cannot — and I will not — tolerate criminal corruption, no matter who you are," she added.

McGuiness was the first woman elected to be state auditor in Delaware and is responsible for tracking government spending for fraud, waste and abuse of funds.

The bottom line: McGuiness could face up to 13 years in prison if convicted, per Reuters.

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Delaware state auditor indicted on misconduct, theft

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