Can I Get an Oh My!
No Delaware public figure generates more angry letters to the Delaware Liberal tip line more than Insurance Commissioner, Karen Weldin Stewart. We have probably received more than 50 of them about her since she was sworn in a little over a year ago. Most are rants of unsubstantiated rumors and vague assurances that her house of cards are about to come tumbling down. Honestly, we don’t have the resources to follow her around for a day (as we have had suggested to us) or tracking down her CV for lies, exaggerations or distortions.
We also did a series of posts about a questionable RFP and were rebuffed by Elliot Jacobson repeatedly via email and in the comments section of this blog.
However, this morning, the partisan Republican Caesar Rodney Institute published some of the results of their digging. Among their findings:
- Steve Kinion (a KWS fund contributor and fundraiser) has a lucrative contract worth $16,000/month and commutes to his job from Illinois.
- [Editors note: this item has been removed as it was corrected in the original CRI story.]
- One of KWS’s friends, Mary Jo Lopez has been given responsibilities that outstrip her apparent qualifications.
- The Captive Bureau office is more of a front than a working office for Kinion.
- Nancy Willing has been advising KWS and her assistant, Elliot Jacobson.
- CRI won’t use DelawareLiberal’s name, only “a local blog”
- Elliot Jacobson takes the same crappy attitude with CRI as he does with DelawareLiberal.
- KWS uses her state vehicle for personal business often. She tries to minimize the time in the car by speeding, though.
- She also likes to travel on the departments dime (more in 1 year than any previous IC in a 4 year term).
I am still looking at the documents that CRI has made available (car records, emails, etc.) but they appear to be selectively released. What do you think?
Tags: Caesar Rodney Institute, Insurance Commissioner, Karen Weldin Stewart, Scandalous!
you could get them to download ? 🙂 some of those pdf’s are huge….
Perhaps if CRI would just meet with KWS, everything would be o.k. I think we found the bipartisan pony now, though.
The pdf file properties show Lee Williams created them personally… Lee could use a little tech assistance to get the file sizes down. There is no need for a 15 page PDF of emails to be nearly 6 MB. That blue horse in the background is probably a giant .TIFF file.
I downloaded the car records and the first (of 4) email downloads. Some things that struck me:
Matt Denn seemed surprised that KWS was asking dumb questions
Elliot uses his personal email to conduct state business (and then redacts his email address)
As stupid as she is corrupt, Stewart doesn’t seem to realize that we all know the glam shot photo she’s using is 20 years old. Take a look at her in real life. She’s just a flabby old bag.
Did we ever find out who was awarded that RFP that was such a big topic around here a while back?
Good work for a partisan gun blog.
Some of the background on the lobbyists at the ICs office we did here and scolded the NJ for fluffing up this effort here.
Elliot used his personal email to communicate with us when we were trying to get info on that RFP.
So when is Markell going to kick her out of office? Or is her bud McDowell going to save her corrupt ass by not letting it get to the legislature? How much evidence do they need to show she’s on the take and has been since she was sworn in? Her criminal behavior is an embarrassment to the party and to the administration.
This is hilarious.
I’d imagine they are having the “you need to do the right thing” conversations with KWS right now. The problem is, she is fairly dumb which is a wild card.
I hope nobody thinks the millions in state funds that are going to the cronies stay with the cronies. What she is doing is generating income for herself via kickbacks. And I mean most of what she pays out. Otherwise what would be the point.
For those of you following along at home, Oracle’s commentary is pretty typical of the tips that we receive. I would not be at all surprised if Oracle had submitted some of them.
Yes I did and I know what’s going on because I work there.
Elliot has been doing nothing but X’ing out stuff on emails for a while.
Nancy Willing gets a shout-out from CRI.
Too much to process.
who’s responcible for prosecuting corrupt politians??? oh yeah, is Junior Joe.
I predict she will serve her full term and be re-elected.
ps, that’s not a Glamour Shot, it’s an avatar.
How can you trust someone who used a twenty year old picture of her self during her campaign ?
is mary jo hot?
But, hey, at least we didn’t elect a Republican. Phew!
I’ll take a corrupt Democrat over a corrupt Republican any time.
In general that is… (Brady is almost certainly non-corrupt and I don’t think he is even a Republican anymore).
“She’s just a flabby old bag.”
I’m as sexist as the next guy, but the only way this becomes relevant is if she suddenly shows up back in town with a lot of plastic surgery.
The fact is, in 2008 both candidates had looming financial problems. Only one of them was resolved after the election.
IC is a difficult office to fill. We did well to have Matt Denn. Both parties should have taken it more seriously, financially and otherwise. Dems rolled over in deference to McDowell. Repubs just gave up because nobody else wanted to run in a Dem year.
Dems rolled over in deference to McDowell.Actually not, I forgot about the fairly close primary… it is telling that I remembered it that way though.The job of IC is so difficult and taxing and confrontational with very smart and motivated people (the insurance industry) that you need a person like Denn in there. The problem is, guys of the caliber of Denn can make big six figures easy in the private market.
Actually Anon, Stewart is an attractive candidate which is why she won over two highly qualified opponents. She speaks the language of regular people, takes a great picture, and put together a killer resume. It was a good combination. Once she won the primary, Democrats just rode a wave for most of the open seats. I can’t fault DL on this one. It was the way it was.
The ‘killer’ resume is all lies. Stewart never went to any college and never worked in insurance after Donna Lee Williams fired her from her no-show job at the DOI in 1992. Her boyfriend David Levinson hired her into the department right after she bankrupted her fabric business. That’s what I heard from a lot of people, anyway.
Something tells me that KWS and Clueless David here have ALOT in common.
Not true, there may have been some exaggerations about the success in consulting or may not have been, but I am saying that she put together a great resume which is what I saw as a voter. I am just explaining the why not defending her. I think if the information we had 6 months after the election were available more widely than to those of us in the blogosphere, the election would have been different. I fault the Brady campaign for being stuck in positive mood and not caring about the truth.
One thing for sure, she can’t be left to determine the regulations for insurance companies in Delaware. Will have to get someone who actually knows how to respond to them and make sure the regulations work on our behalf not on behalf of the insurance companies who are her buds.
CRI, doing the peoples work. Nothing to gain for themselves in all of this
Can’t we just have Matt Denn do both jobs? I’d take a part time Denn over a full time KWS and her cronies any day.
This is a serious question — does the ICs office have any accountability to the Governor at all? Or is this a deal where once you are elected, and you are doing the statutorily mandated function that you are just accountable to voters? This is something that always puzzled me — how this department could be seemingly exempt from the Governor’s rules on travel and vehicles and so on. For instance — can he take back her vehicle?
Second serious question — is there a recall provision for politicos in Delaware Law?
Nancy Willing has requested a retraction on the part of the story saying that she is an advisor.
Oh really?
Instead, Stewart relies on a team for guidance on dealing with the media, and for damage control, which includes Jacobson, various DOI staffers and Wilmington blogger Nancy Willing.
This is not advising?
Cassandra, serious answer is no to both (but not really sure on the car).
is Nancy leaving a sinking ship?
Molinari’s comments are similar to those that have been floating around KWS for years. Stuff that’s simply unable to be substantiated. There may be truth there, but how can anyone prove it?
Exactly the conundrum around here.
Can Delaware Liberal demand to be
mentionedexposed in the CRI report as “advisors?”Hee hee, good one, anon. If CRI really wants to look non-partisan they could mention Delaware Liberal.
Ok… Let’s make it graphic: I can put together a totally invented ‘killer’ resume for myself and walk the walk and talk the talk like KWS did, and get myself hired as a high level exec by some large corporation if nobody checks it out. Which is what happened with KWS despite the fact the information about her lying about her background was out there before the election but nobody bothered to verify her claimed ‘experience’ she was bragging about to beat out highly qualified John Brady. She never even went to college, for crying out loud. Then as an exec, if I screw up because I don’t know what I’m doing because I’ve never had a real job before in my life, let alone managed scores of people, and on top of that rip off my employer for millions of dollars, I not only get canned but I get prosecuted and go to jail. Is that what’s going to happen to KWS or are politicians exempt from accountability and we’re stuck with a scam artist like her? She sure as hell should be fired/removed from office and prosecuted, in my humble opinion. I’m still hoping that’s going to happen.
“how can anyone prove it?”
A short talk with her should do the trick. I realize that’s not feasible for all voters, but for heaven’s sake, she hung around Delaware political circles for 20 years without anyone taking her seriously. You’d have to be as big a moron as David Anderson not to challenge her on the BS on her resume.
Here’s another clue: Rick Jensen just had Lee Williams on for an hour. KWS was actually dumb enough to call in to defend herself, in her usual unconvincing fashion.
KWS was actually dumb enough to call in to defend herself, in her usual unconvincing fashion.
Did she use Elliot’s defense, “It’s not taxpayer money?”
Yes, MATT DENN can and should do both jobs . He just can’t get paid for doing both jobs at same time .She’s gotta go. Anybody want to take her on in primary ? I’ll make a donation.
She’s made it clear she’s not running for reelection because she figured she’d have amassed enough bribes and kickbacks in her four year term to retire, so the next primary won’t work. She shouldn’t be allowed to remain in office and keep on stealing Delawareans’money, and she can take her useless cronies with her. That way and if the FBI and the state of Delaware confiscate every penny she stole, she’ll end up as destitute as she was when she was elected.
By the way, I work there too, just like Oracle. So don’t tell me what I’m saying is “unsubstantiated rants”. She’s dumber than a bag of hammers and that’s exeeded only by her warped self image and arrogance. She makes all of us sick. We’ve been waiting for the shoe to drop just like Lee said. Glad it’s finally happening.
It is unsubstantiated if you couldn’t back it up. Which you didn’t. You wanted us to print rumors and allegations while you never had to identify yourself or even provide backup. We got plenty of emails saying “just follow her around!”. Or her picture is out of date! Or her resume is fake! Or even the stealing Delawareans money thing.
If you can’t be bothered to provide more substance than: She’s dumber than a bag of hammers and that’s exceeded only by her warped self image and arrogance, then you are just ranting. But we note for the record that you did not provide the car records, the emails or the data about consultant payments.
cassandra_m: Keep on defending her, which is basically defending yourself for not doing your job. That makes you complicit in the mess she caused. There’s no reason why you couldn’t have followed up on the claims in her resume. The press does on everyone else, so why not her? You just can’t find any fault with her and even in light of the evidence everything is just an “allegation”? What more substance do you need than the fact that nothing but the 1989 DOI job on her resume is true? Call the sources up yourself the way I did before I commented on her lying. You’d make a fine KWS crony if you aren’t already.
Cassandra isn’t defending KWS. And DL is not a job for anyone here.
no one is defending her here.
And the people complicit in her BS are the people who know her and work for her couldn’t step up and get beyond their own defensive crouches and their own complicity in the Delaware Way. Where everyone “knows” but no one will step up to help shut it down.
I’ve written more than anyone here about how inadequate KWS is, so you can’t get away with the lie that no one can find fault with her. And for the record — my job here is to blog on topics that interest me as I can. No one here is paid to do investigative reporting or even to do the blogging we do. But if you work for the State, then it is YOU who has fallen down on the job here. YOU have the obligation to ensure that the interests of Delawareans are served, and by not stepping up, you and everyone in your office who would not speak failed the rest of us.
Fortunately, someone who does get paid to report and blog found a few people willing to speak off the record and speak in the interests of the rest of us.
No wonder you work at the ICs office — you are just as much of a fraud as your boss.
Cassandra, you’re being a bit naive on the ability of State Employees to actually do a whole lot about some of the things that they see.
True Story
In my daytime job for the state I deal with computers/networks/printers. As part of saving money (about 1 1/2 years ago) we leased a Canon copier with the network printer function. As a result, we (I) initiated a policy of not buying toner for the existing printers that we had and certainly never purchasing new printers as the copier we have handles all of those things including printing to a mailbox or doing a private print, where the user enters a password that they then enter on the Copier in order to securely print their document.
About 4 months ago, a printer for a particular user stopped functioning (the toner cartridge blew up 🙂 ). When the user asked about replacing the printer, I set the user up on the copier and explained to the user that we were no longer purchasing toner or printers for individual users. About a month after that conversation, the user, on my day off, bypassed me and purchased (the user has purchasing authority) the printer anyhow. So other than notifying the auditor, what else could I have done? It’s my expectation that with the new accounting system coming online in July, purchases such as this may be flagged, but I’m not really sure.
Another true tidbit. The justification for many of the State Cars that are used for commuting are just as flimsy as KWS’s are. I’m guessing that a FOIA request for the GPS on many of the state vehicles would yield some interesting results.
You’re way off base, cassandra. I have NO duty to jeopardize my job for the “good of the Delaware people”, so don’t you dare tell me I’ve failed them. I have a family to feed. KWS and Jacobson made it perfectly clear that anyone who talks gets canned. So far we haven’t seen them get past our union. So shut the hell up cassandra. It’s obvious you don’t know what you’re talking about.
OMG, Molinari. Calm down. Guess what? Cassandra has a job too. She doesn’t get paid for blogging. You want to yell at someone (and it appears you do) yell at the News Journal.
Molinari:
How do you propose someone check out her resume? IIRC, she said she ran a consulting business. If she doesn’t release the names of her clients, how can that be checked?
Plenty of state legislators never went to college. That’s just snobbery. If there were educational requirements for IC like there are for AG (you have to be a licensed attorney), then it would be a legitimate issue. But it’s not.
As for the dumber-than-a-block-of-wood line that’s been going around, she came off pretty well in the debates. Plenty of politicians can’t deliver a speech without cue cards or notes.
I’m no huge fan of KWS, but I will just point out that her primary opponent, Gene Reed, is still working there and involved in this latest stuff. If anyone would have a reason to speak out against her, it’d be him. Any one of those companies that contributed to his campaign would snatch him up for a job in a heartbeat. So it either must not be too horrible or else he’s waiting until 2012.
And for all those state employees who read this blog and say “I can’t jeopardize my job!” — check this out, from a non-work computer. Then call. Show some cojones.
http://auditor.delaware.gov/services/fwa.shtml
Cassandra, you’re being a bit naive on the ability of State Employees to actually do a whole lot about some of the things that they see.
Probably no more naive that a State Employee who writes in anonymous tips: her picture is old! she’s a moron! omg you should follow her around during the day! she gets her nails done!
Reporting to the auditor from a non-state computer is not bad. There were clearly people who spoke to the CRI off the record, which is another good thing. But you can’t be here or anyplace else complaining that others aren’t doing EXACTLY WHAT YOU AREN’T DOING.
And if you even want to know why people have hard time caring about State workers, this would be it, right here:
I have NO duty to jeopardize my job for the “good of the Delaware people”, so don’t you dare tell me I’ve failed them
Cassandra, I adore you.
Molinari et. al.: See whistle. Blow.
“And for all those state employees who read this blog and say “I can’t jeopardize my job!” — check this out, from a non-work computer. Then call. Show some cojones.
http://auditor.delaware.gov/services/fwa.shtml”
And when one does so and nothing is done? Generally, unless there is a large amount of money involved, the auditor’s office will just send the Cabinet Sec. a letter asking for their response and the matter is dropped.
A1, evidently my whistle isn’t loud enough 🙂
So I guess today I have to say that I Am Not A Paid Shill* for WDEL, because I am posting up another WDEL link.
They posted up the interview that Rick Jensen (oy!) did with Lee Williams today.
Rick Jensen is a PITA interviewer, but Karen Hartley Nagle is now calling in to note that she does not think that the CRI report is especially remarkable.
*This disclaimer is so that my blogmates here don’t start agitating for their cut.
ps. Thank you Brooke!
And when one does so and nothing is done?
I want to make clear one thing: I definitely get that it is remarkably difficult to blow the whistle on unseemly stuff going on in your office. And that is the case no matter where you work. Most places operate with their own code of omerta and when you violate that, they can drop enough bricks on you to rebuild the Empire State Building.
I admire people who can stand up and do the right thing. And my only point here is to chastise the people who were a river of crazy complaints to our tip line and who would come back here to bitch at us for not doing the thing that they didn’t have the heart to do.
And I spent some time trying to get some info on stuff the tip line fed in (and stuff not covered in the CRI report) — once I was at an event at someone’s house and asked the person I was talking to about KWS. That person got another drink and went to town, but so did everyone else in the room. Unfortunately for me, no one wanted to be on the record. And no one could point me to a place to independently get the info. But it is hard to blame these people — Delaware is a small place and I imagine that if you are patient enough and clever enough you can find out who is talking.
So this is the deal — Delaware Liberal is not Perez Hilton’s place. You want us to help you to shine some light on something you need to give us something to work with. If you want to be off the record, you’ll be off the record. But you can’t expect us to just reprint the talk at the watercooler.
I think it’s obvious that one of the underlying problems/frustrations here is the utter lack of a working, investigative press here in Delaware. As has been said, Delaware Liberal is not a paid job for anyone (it least it’d better not be. If you’all are holding out on me, so help me….but I digress) nor does anyone here have the time, resources, or training to do in-depth investigative work. Poking around on the internet is one thing, but real digging should be the domain of real journalists at real media outlets. Unfortunately, all we have in our great state is a lipstick-coated pig of a high school paper who won’t even report the race of dangerous murderers and rapists on the loose.
Maybe there wouldn’t be so much backroom dealing and incestuous political inbreeding if elected officials were the least bit afraid that they might be someday exposed for what they are. Instead, they all know they’re safe, free to toil in the dim twilight of the public’s ignorance. The best we can hope for is that reports like this, and sites like this, can start the ball rolling and catch a stray reporter in its path. I’m not holding my breath.
Cassandra –
2 things. First, I think I love you for that last comment. Second, I listened to the WDEL audio and think Lee Williams and Jensen were overplaying AND underplaying their hands.
Yes, in today’s world, you can hold a job in the midatlantic and live in the midwest. We have plenty of technologies (planes, conference calls, Webex) that facilitate that life. I have never met my boss. He exists as a voice on the other end of the phone and a series of emails because he lives 1500 miles away. KWS kicked their asses there.
There are certainly reasons why a director should live in Delaware, but none of them were covered by the morons on the radio.
Also, Williams kept saying that she was using taxpayers money. She was right that this is not taxpayers money, it is insurance company money. Williams is being somewhat disingenuous by saying that what’s left goes into the general fund, since in the next year, the fees go down to insurers, relative to how much was kicked back.
Again, there are things to hit them up on (like insurers money is really insurers customers money) but alas, the conservatwins couldn’t get their act together.
The whole laughing at the accusations thing from KWS was plenty annoying though.
What’s funny is I just posted this on my Facebook with the same comment…”Oh my.”
Can I just say I’m starting to really feel guilty about penning the expose regarding Gene Reed’s questionable campaign finances? I didn’t think it could get worse than Reed’s insider wheeling-dealing.
I was wrong.
The KWS laughing it off at the beginning if her call was definitely in he category of Working Too Hard.
And you’re right, LG — the traveling for work thing is no big deal anymore. I’ve spent much of my career on planes for projects, and the fact that I live here never mattered much to whether or not I could run a task in Alaska.
The Kinion problem is that he is a lobbyist — not a regulator as KWS insists or that he doesn’t live here as Williams and Jensen wanted to deal with. He walks in the door with a POV firmly oriented towards the clients of his firm or the clients his firm wants. Because Kinion’s employer is still Zack Stamp. No one seems to know what their contract looks like — what kind of COI provisions there are in there. And Kinion’s job description is essentially one of a lobbyist for the DE Captive Insurance program. And if his contract includes any real *regulatory* oversight of this business, then we may have real issues. Outsourcing regulatory functions should be pretty rare and pretty limited.
You know Mike, I don’t think you were wrong. It is just that questionable campaign finances looks a lot better in hindsight as a problem than what we ended up with. A finance report largely consisting of the people you would have to do business with is just not cool, especially for this job. Plus, I think that Reed suffered a little from his father’s rep. Unfairly, I think, but people were a little cautious.
Maybe a college degree isn’t necessary to be IC. Work experience is, but Stewart has neither and lied about both. Her supposed Weldin Group business existed just on paper – look it up on the Secretary of State’s website. Her conduct when she called in during Rick Jensen’s interview of Lee Williams was a joke, showing her stupidity, cackling with fake amusement instead of addressing the issues. And all of it came back to how great and important SHE is. Typical for this egomaniac crook. She was broke when she took office. Now she lives way beyond her $105K a year income as all DOI staffers are aware. You do the math. It’s called kickbacks.
Isn’t investigating political corruption part of the Attorney General’s job?
Oracle, I don’t think you’re quite getting what Cassandra is saying.
“Now she lives way beyond her $105K a year income” That’s an accurate description of about half of the people in the US, not really a crime.
“You do the math. It’s called kickbacks” Again, where is the proof?
“Maybe a college degree isn’t necessary to be IC. Work experience is, but Stewart has neither and lied about both” Maybe it’s necessary, but it is NOT a requirement of getting elected to this office. And a politician lied 🙂 I’m shocked, just shocked at this! 🙂
I myself voted Republican for this particular office, but KWS just rode the democrat wave 🙂 into office.
If KWS lied about her experience or exaggerated it, that just means that Gene Reed and John Brady did not do a very good job with their opposition research. If Reed or Brady couldn’t figure this out, how do you expect the rest of the voters to do so?
UI: Exactly. It was up to them but they blew it. I know for a fact that at least Brady had all the information. If they hadn’t blown it, the voters would have known, too. I guess that means John has only himself to blame for losing.
She claims its not taxpayer money but insurance company money? Someone explain how that works? Who in State government is her overseer? Why doesnt Tom Wagner call in Gene Reed and get to the bottom of it. Better, have all the staff members come in and give their testimony?
Maybe her “insurance buds” are writing the new regulations that govern the new federal medical plan? She certainly isn’t qualified or experienced enough to do it.
Why can’t those in her office get together and go to the Auditor. If the Auditor has enough information and there is indeed theft of funds, or some other infraction he then must take it to the AG.
If State workers have had their “trips” curtailed, how is it that KWS is permitted to take all these “trips”, no matter who is paying. This woman is so dumb she isn’t even smart enough to cover her tracks? So dumb knowing the blogs would be asking questions about every move she makes she would act as if no one cared?
To the point about her resume, her past work/educational experience I don’t think it was up to those running against her to bring the information forward. Anything they said, would have been considered “political gotcha”. The group who should have had the correct information on their candidate was the Delaware Democratic Party, they should have vetted her.
Question … How do you prove that a business exists only on paper?
JK: The office is independent. It does not take orders from the governor or anybody else.
The Democratic Party was not behind her candidacy, and is not in position to keep people off the ballot by “vetting” them.
anon: She claimed in her campaign that is an experienced businesswoman and paid Workers Comp insurance and met a payroll for employees of The Weldin Group. The Secretary of State’s website shows one employee for that supposed business. That’s KWS, so she basically incorporated herself, the same as her crony Mary Jo Lopez to whom she gave one of the no-show jobs in the DOI’s Captive operation as Lee Williams’ article describes. That’s called a paper incorporation.
Purpose of the “paper incorporation”: She only worked in insurance when she was with the DOI 1989-92 when Donna Lee Williams fired her. She called the Weldin Group an insurance consultancy so she could claim insurance industry affiliation and attend industry association meetings to collect contacts that would and did support her three runs for IC. Mary Jo Lopez’ self-incorporation as Affinitee LLC is for the purpose of receiving DOI money despite performing few to no services, and kicking much of it back to KWS. The tentacles of fraud go deep and wide in our office.
For cassandra_m’s benefit: Yes, I have called the Fraud Hotline. Happy now?
Geezer: are you saying whatever she does in that elected office no one is responsible for overseeing that office? No one, no agency, no party, noone can investigate these “rumors”. We should all be fearful of this womans in-abilities. She is about to make regulations for this State regarding health care, setting up health care exchanges etc. Do you trust her and her “abilities” based on what we already know about her background and inexperience! We know when she went to NY she came back “cash heavy”. It was noted on physicans for national health care, the insurance company lobbyists were 8 to l lobbying the Congress. They claim that number will double. There is an insurance commissioner meeting coming up I believe in Las Vegas. THEY, the insurance companies will be lobbying that twit.
Lots of people incorporate one-person businesses to protect their assets. That doesn’t mean they’re fakes!
If you can prove that the Weldin Group was a front and that she didn’t consult when she says she did, then do so. But you can’t.
She consulted a few times after she was fired from the DOI, until word got around about her incompetence and borderline illiteracy. She never had employees as she claimed. Stop nitpicking.
Oracle: your right! She was a one woman shop, no employees. Some people know that to be a fact. Lets all call Tom Wagners office and demand he investigate. Lets stop surmising whats happening and actually get the facts. If there is criminal activity here the AG’s are required to investigate also.
What about Gene Reed? He is still there surely he knows whats happening. We should have elected John Brady, at least he was honest.
In no way is it nitpicking… Example:
until word got around about her incompetence and borderline illiteracy.
This is rumor. Full stop.
Please tell me a person that she says she consulted for, yet did not. I have my own, difficult to prove, allegations about KWS. But until I can prove them, I cannot pursue them.
JK – That is correct. The Insurance Commissioner is an elected office. Elected officials do not have managers, per se. Hate to break it to you, but in his role as Lt. Governor, Matt Denn does not answer to the Governor. We do not elect people to have a manager. We elect them to manage.
The only way to intervene, as far as I can see, is if she commits a crime or is forced to resign for some embarrassment.
LG: In the course of many years in the insurance industry and not all of them in the DOI, you get to know a lot of people. I’m sure it’s no different anywhere else. Unless you’re a neophyte barely out of school, you know what “word gets around” means, and it’s not just rumors. We rely on the grapevine to make decisions about outsourcing to consultants. I’ve seen evidence myself of KWS’s inability to put a cogent paragraph together, let alone deliver a good product.
Look at some of her emails that Lee Williams included in his article. They speak for themselves. Enough said.
Absolute bullshit.
I do know many people in my line of work, and yes, many are incompetent buffoons. But if someone asks me about them, I can put together a verifiable example of WHY they are incompetent.
Your inability to comprehend what constitutes a provable fact and an innuendo is what has sunk your campaign to sink KWS. If she is ultimately removed from office or otherwise disgraced, it will be in spite of you rather than because of you. Your flailing about with personal shots and professional slurs has EXACTLY the opposite effect from the one you appear to be seeking. You create a feeling that KWS is under siege from loudmouthed and ignorant employees.
oracle sounds like a jilted ex lover
Oracle, take a deep breath. If you intend to remain annonymous you should choose your examples/annecdotes carefully, lest they identify you.
Look. Gene Reed and the rest of the anti-KWS Democrats presumably in possession of this information all had the opportunity during the campaign to derail her. They didn’t. Matt Denn chose to remain silent. Gene Reed wanted to save his job after the primary. Ask them why they didn’t speak out.
“She was a one woman shop, no employees. Some people know that to be a fact.”
I love the phrase “some people.” Some people think you’re a jackass. Does that make it true? And until being a one-woman shop is illegal, you ain’t got shit.
no D, I recognize his frustration, in the private sector, when you have a boss as stupid and unqualified as KWS it usually means he is the son of the owner.
LG: The issue is not that she was a one-woman shop but that she lied and said she had employees. P. Schwartz: thanks for your support.
Please tell me what the punishment should be for lying on one’s resume? George Bush said that he spent the Vietnam war in the National Guard. No one can prove otherwise and he was the President of the United States for 8 long years.
Sorry, but even if she was a one person shop and she claimed that she had employees, it isn’t a crime. Not one single campaign mailing was under oath.
“You create a feeling that KWS is under siege from loudmouthed and ignorant employees.”
In those who don’t follow Delaware politics, perhaps.
I understand it can be frustrating when you get lots of tips and complaints about a person but nothing you can pin down. It took Lee Williams, an experienced investigative reporter, nine months to put together what he did, and it’s doubtful that anything revealed so far would meet the standard needed before the AG or auditor (or, more likely, the US Attorney’s office) launches an investigation.
“Ask them why they didn’t speak out.”
I think you’ve already explained it pretty well.
Seems to me there’s enough evidence out there by now, including Lee’s report and her idiotic behavior on Rick Jensen’s show yesterday and on earlier radio interviews, that people would no longer have any doubt about her character. Looks like that’s not the case. I can’t believe you’re defending her. No doubt the proof of the obvious financial irregularities and how she benefitted will be here shortly.
Geezer – Those who don’t follow Delaware politics describes most of the KWS voters, no?
My point is that it is possible that KWS is incompetent AND that Oracle is wrong. If nothing else, Oracle is presenting rumor as incontrovertible fact. And damning everyone that demands more than hearsay as KWS supporters.
I hate being stuck in the crazy.
since you think she’s being so unjustly maligned.
When you are reduced to making stuff up, you know you’ve lost your argument.
For the record — no one thinks she is being unjustly maligned. We do think that you need way more than a made up resume for more legal actions. For instance — all of you who keep charging behind your anonymous names here that she is taking money should cough up some evidence. Because that would be actionable.
“Those who don’t follow Delaware politics describes most of the KWS voters, no?”
Of course it does. That’s why she was elected. Now, which part do you think Oracle might be wrong about?
Maybe you and cassandra should join the bought and paid for KWS cheering section at the DOI since you think she’s being so unjustly maligned.
I’m concerned for you, Oracle. This level of frustration can’t be good for you. No one is saying what you’re accusing them of saying – no one here is a bought and paid for KWS cheering section. I will admit that when you take cheap shots at her looks, it makes me tune you out.
What I can’t figure out is what you want (expect?) us (DL) to do about the situation.
What’s wrong with pointing out the picture she uses everywhere, including here, is 20 years old. It’s another lie among so many.
It is kind of perky, though.
Gee Geek think you have the answer. Lets have them all unde oath before we elect them. Lets have them take a litmus test as to what they will support or don’t support.
What’s wrong with pointing out the picture she uses everywhere, including here, is 20 years old. It’s another lie among so many.
That statement doesn’t jive with your earlier comment.
As stupid as she is corrupt, Stewart doesn’t seem to realize that we all know the glam shot photo she’s using is 20 years old. Take a look at her in real life. She’s just a flabby old bag.
I’m assuming you’re trying to get people on your side… comments like that don’t help – they discredit.
There is nothing wrong with pointing out that her picture is old.
But it is a fairly banal point, though, right? Everyone who has met her certainly knows how far out of date this picture is. And really — we’d be pretty lucky if the biggest issue to deal with is an old picture.
Just a sampling of things that are wrong (wrong is defined as “currently unverifiable”):
I’ve seen evidence myself of KWS’s inability to put a cogent paragraph together, let alone deliver a good product.
She consulted a few times after she was fired from the DOI, until word got around about her incompetence and borderline illiteracy.
She was broke when she took office. Now she lives way beyond her $105K a year income as all DOI staffers are aware. You do the math. It’s called kickbacks.
What more substance do you need than the fact that nothing but the 1989 DOI job on her resume is true?
She’s made it clear she’s not running for reelection because she figured she’d have amassed enough bribes and kickbacks in her four year term to retire…
Her boyfriend David Levinson hired her into the department right after she bankrupted her fabric business. That’s what I heard from a lot of people, anyway.
What she is doing is generating income for herself via kickbacks. And I mean most of what she pays out.
Those are just from this thread, although I am assuming that Molinari and Oracle are the same person, which may or may not be true.
TPM Muckraker reports: Changes and expansion of Medicaid and plans for the federal government to reimburse States for increased costs are among the trickest of the new provisions. STATE INSURANCE COMMISSIONERS are given NEW authority to regulate insurers and scrutinize proposed rate hikes. THEY are responsible for providing and IMPLEMENTING new electronic medical records systems. Even though the law doesnt take effect until 2014, States are told to begin the ground work now.
State Health offices are tasked with administering Medicaid no matter what and say privately they aren’t sure what to tell the consitutents who call asking for information.
Do YOU trust KWS to do this? Do you think Delaware citizens will be given a fair shake, or will Weldin go along to get along with the insurance company donors “who brung her to the dance”?
I’ve been watching this thread all day. Funny how it stopped cold when JUST KIDDIN'(104) asked three very serious questions. The answers are obviously NO, NO and YES
Some of you people just don’t get it. All the info you all call unproven is old news, been around since before the last election and then some. Anyone who knows Stewart can confirm it. No wonder crooked Delaware officials like her get away with murder all the time. Name just one who didn’t. Even if they’re indicted they get off, so Stewart has nothing to worry about. You people always attack the messenger. Pathetic.
Josh, there’s no conspiracy. This thread is more than one day old and there are two newer threads about the issue.
It can only be old news if it was ever news. This has nothing to do with shooting the messenger and has everything to do with cold, hard proof.
Notice what you and your alter ego have done here. You have taken a real story and tacked on a ton of other charges that are unproven, largely unprovable and libelous. The story is so weighed down now with your bullshit that suddenly, one of the blogs that has been most critical of KWS, is a crony and aiding and abetting her continuing administration.
This is no different from people have a reasonable discussion of healthcare reform and the debate being interrupted by people screaming about how liberals want to kill their grandmother. It is so off the rails that it doesn’t have a place in the debate.
I have made it clear that I don’t trust KWS with insurance in this state. I think she has so far been able to get by with the work that was done by Matt Denn for the previous few years.
But guess what? If she hasn’t broken any laws (and no evidence has been presented to corroborate this assertion yet) then our ability to affect change in the office is minimal. Lee Williams and Rick Jensen had her on the hot seat for a half-hour and ended up with bubkis (for the most part).
liberalgeek it looks like you’re responding to my post. What are you talking about? What alter ego? Don’t bother answering, it’ll probably make this more confused. I agree Rick Jensen and Lee Williams didn’t make much headway on the radio. That doesn’t mean Stewart did.
I think you know what I mean. Please don’t pretend. There is a difference between grass-roots and astroturf.