Tom Wagner often joked during the 2010 campaign that he was the “last man standing” after Castle’s defeat. Wagner is the only Republican elected to statewide office. An investigation by the News Journal has found that Wagner refused to release a report critical of Dick Cathcart and fired the official in charge of the report.
The state auditor of accounts has delayed for nearly a year the release of a report critical of a Delaware State University department managed by a powerful former legislator and longtime political friend.
The investigation focuses on DSU using state funds to award nearly $1.5 million in no-bid contracts to a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning company, according to a draft of the report obtained by The News Journal. Many of the contract awards violated state bidding law and the work was performed without the necessary city permits, DSU and state officials acknowledge.
DSU’s purchasing and contract procurement is overseen by Richard C. Cathcart, a veteran Republican lawmaker who also served as House majority leader and chaired influential appropriations committees. Cathcart is DSU’s associate vice president of administration in charge of campus facilities.
Read the whole report. Something’s really fishy and it might explain why Cathcart abruptly decided not to run for re-election last year.