1. The Closed Circle of Sleaze.
This article got lost in the Chip Flowers Implosion, Version 4.0, but it shouldn’t have. House D’s facing primary challenges sending out thinly-veiled campaign lit on the public’s dime. A practice that was discontinued under Speaker Gilligan (Terry Spence was the Godfather of this practice), but reinstated by Speaker Schwartzkopf just in time for the primaries. Now here’s the rest of the story. Complaints regarding this practice were filed with Elaine Manlove of the State Department of Elections. She determined that she had no legal jurisdiction over the complaints, that they did not technically violate state law, and referred them to…The House Ethics Committee. Did I mention that the House Ethics Committee is chaired by Valerie Longhurst, one of the two legislators who it’s been confirmed have sent out these mailers on the taxpayers’ dime? Now, that’s the Delaware Way.
2. Wagner Loses a Stealth Ally With Chip’s Withdrawal?
IMHO, the answer is a clear ‘yes’. It is Wagner’s well-deserved misfortune that Flowers stepped aside and, oh, by the way, admitted that Erika Benner had indeed purchased his Patriots tickets on her state PCard (appearently, her 4th state PCard b/c of alleged charges allegedly not made by her on her previous three state PCards). Wagner’s ‘report’ absolved poor Chipper of being involved in any way. Wagner even took a shot at the press for having the gall to raise these allegations:
Despite public scrutiny and various reports to the contrary, we found that the Treasury employees charged with internal control responsibility followed timely and appropriate procedures, which directly resulted in restitution to the State.
That statement is no longer operative, and was never true. But that’s hardly the end of the cover-up. In fact, this report makes Wagner’s cover-up of Dick Cathcart’s awarding of no-bid contracts at Delaware State University look like merely a warm-up to this main event. Unfortunately, and likely unwittingly, Wagner also reveals yet another, um, omission from the story that Chip told. Did you know that there is someone within the Treasurer’s Office specifically charged with dealing with PCard transactions? Neither did I. But, the Auditor’s report makes clear that there was a Treasury PCard Coordinator who, if the report is to be believed, worked diligently on this but never let his/her boss, the State Treasurer, know. The Auditor stated as fact in the report that the State Treasurer did not know, but provides not a scintilla of supporting evidence. So, folks, I’m gonna print what was in the report, and I’m gonna ask you, does it make any sense at all to believe that the Treasurer, who now admits he knew that Benner bought his Patriots/Cowboys tickets for him on her state PCard was unaware of her illegal purchases? Decide for yourself:
Throughout the period of our review, the former Deputy Treasurer reported fraudulent transactions on her PCard on three separate occasions, which meant that three new PCards were issued to her within two years (Chip didn’t know? Apparently not, according to Wagner).
During our review, the former Deputy Treasurer had 34 instances worth $6,399 of personal transactions charged to her State PCard. Treasury staff questioned the former Deputy Treasurer about the nature of the transactions during the PCard reconciliation process. AOA verified that the former Deputy Treasurer reimbursed the State for every personal transaction identified, including the Cold Stone cake purchase for an employee’s 50-year employment celebration (this is the only specific reimbursement cited in the report; later in the report, the Auditor essentially pooh-poohs this as a harmless use of state funds; which leaves 33 other unidentified transactions). Treasury staff refused to approve the monthly PCard payment until they had supporting receipts or an affidavit for all transactions. Further, in some instances the Treasury staff would wait on the reimbursement from the former Deputy Treasurer before approving the transaction. For these reasons, the monthly payments often extended past the 30-day deadline. This was Treasury staff’s ongoing process during the former Deputy Treasurer’s tenure. Although Treasury staff worked diligently to address the issue, they never directly communicated the former Deputy Treasurer’s issues with the State Treasurer until after he was approached by the Secretary of Finance in April 2013 (there is no citation whatsoever to verify that the Treasurer did not know; it is merely an assertion absent supporting facts; it’s also a way to cover Chip’s ass). After the State Treasurer was notified, the former Deputy State Treasurer made no personal transactions for the remainder of her service to the State.
To believe that Chip didn’t know, one would have to believe that diligent staff never thought to let him ‘directly’ know about a clear pattern of fiscal misbehavior on the part of his top official. And that it never dawned on Chip that something wasn’t quite right. Oh, and remember how Chip blamed the Markell Administration for not keeping him in the loop?:
DOA sent eight emails to the Treasury PCard Coordinator over a 17-month period requesting validation of the former Deputy Treasurer’s questionable purchases without copying or notifying the State Treasurer until April 2013. As a result of the Secretary of Finance contacting the State Treasurer, the State Treasurer began discussion with his accounting staff and subsequently making improvements to Treasury’s PCard process, ordering an internal review of the Treasury’s PCard program, and addressing the Treasury staff’s perception of an unapproachable tone of management(?). With the aid of his accounting staff, the State Treasurer also obtained personal reimbursement from the former Deputy Treasurer. We confirmed that all personal transactions were repaid.
Got that? The Treasurer’s Office was notified, but Chip was apparently blissfully unaware as he was not cc’d on the correspondence. Unless, of course, he was bc’d. Or he’s full of BS. Did the Auditor’s Office review the e-mails in question or did they just accept someone’s (Chip’s) word for it? Who did the office interview? Shouldn’t that be made public? Not that it matters.
This is your State Auditor, ladies and gentlemen. He does not really audit. Just as in the Cathcart case, political motivations are behind the report. I think Wagner saw Chip as someone who could ‘cut’ Brenda Mayrack in the black community (I think he was wrong) and help Wagner get reelected this year. So, the report was designed to help Chip in the primary. There is no other explanation, other than gross ineptitude, that makes sense in putting out a report that went to such lengths to absolve Flowers of any responsibility in the fiascoes that enveloped his office. The report is no longer operative. One can only hope that, come November, neither is Wagner.
3. One More Name On the Ballot.
The R’s have filed a candidate in the 16th RD, currently ably represented by James ‘JJ’ Johnson. He has a credible background, assuming that it’s this Gregory Coverdale. Member of the Delaware State Board of Education, trustee for several non-profits, and has his Bachelors’ in Business from Del State. Real good credentials. Too bad he’s not taking on someone of a less-deserving caliber, since there are several of that category in the same area (Val Longhurst and John Viola immediately come to mind).
4. Chip Hasn’t Withdrawn His Name.
Maybe he wants to be like Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. You know, attending his funeral while still alive. He’s got the crying down pat. According to Elaine Manlove in today’s News-Journal, should Chip withdraw his name, the primary for D State Treasurer would be removed from the primary ballot, and Sean Barney’s name would be placed on the November ballot. As of now, Flowers’ name remains on the primary ballot, and will stay there, unless Chip withdraws.
That’s all I got. What’d I miss, and whaddayathink?