It looks like they have her stone cold busted. If guilty – she should get the 13 year max, but I doubt she’ll see the inside of a prison cell. Jails are for black people found with $5.00 worth of pot on them.
This is the thread for the “major public trust indictment” coming down at 2:30.
Delaware state Auditor Kathy McGuiness was indicted Monday on criminal charges that she hired and supervised her daughter in a do-nothing state job, that she circumvented state contracting laws to divert taxpayer money to a political campaign group and that she spied on and discriminated against employees who questioned her conduct.
McGuiness faces two felony charges and several misdemeanors in the indictment, which appears to make her the first statewide elected official to be indicted on felony charges while holding office.
Hearts are flying out of my eyes toward Xerxes Wilson and Sarah Gamard for writing this:
McGuiness, a Democrat and former Rehoboth Beach commissioner, was elected as state auditor in 2018, a position that’s meant to police wasteful and inappropriate spending of taxpayer money in school districts and state government agencies. The 11-page indictment accuses her of doing the opposite, starting with her benefiting her own family.
If found guilty – Any judge that doesn’t bring the sentencing hammer down is a party to corruption.
Who was the release sent to? obviously in DE we dont really care about public mistrust since neither the NJ nor WDEL has anything on their website re: this
News-Journal carried it live. Amy Cherry is reporting for WDEL. Pretty sure she was at the press conference.
You can check out my notes on the press conference, which just concluded, under the ‘political implications’ post.
Bottom line: McG is finito.
saw it on delawareonline but they didnt post the conference till 2:32…
That’s when it started.
If convicted she faces 0 to 13 years. I’m taking on the under.
Whats the odds on her next election win percentage +/-9?
No one messes with the pharmaceutical company! She is being punished
https://news.delaware.gov/category/auditor-of-accounts/state-auditor-kathy-mcguiness/page/4/?print=print-search
“Dozens” of whistle blowers with first hand knowledge of how she was running the place. Were they all part of the plot to get her? Please.
Aggravating Factor: These are exactly the types of crimes the Auditor is supposed to be uncovering, not committing.
I always thought she was dumb, but Jesus! She must be the stupidest motherfucker in all of Delaware.
Perhaps she thought that, since the previous auditor covered up state procurement crimes by a Rethug legislator, she’d certainly be able to cover up her OWN procurement offenses. Turns out having a different AG makes a difference.
I don’t think “thinking” played much of a role.
The People Have Spoken With Their Page Views. THIS is the KMG Indicted Open Thread. Hence, here’s the News-Journal story:
https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/politics/2021/10/11/de-attorney-general-announce-major-public-trust-indictment/5914972001/
The outright fucking stupidity gets me. Wealthy connected people have wealthy connected friends that can get their children no-show jobs in the private sector, for fuck sake.
What the actual fuck? If being a fucking clueless nit-wit is a legal defense, that is the one she’ll use.
I think she will get the Darwin Award this year if they have a category for “political suicide”. I always knew she was unfit for office but I never dreamed she would be THIS stupid. What does this say about Pete Schwartzkopf and his undying loyalty to her during her campaign? And others. This SHOULD be a catalyst for some folks in Dover to go bye-bye. The only question is if it will.
For sure.
Let us not forget Elaine Manlove, the former Commissioner of Elections, who contorted herself into a Rosemary Woods-style pretzel to hold that this admitted resident of Park City UT was somehow eligible to run for office.
I’ll come right out and say it: That was a corrupt ruling right there.
One almost down, dozens to go. Hope this is a trend as we could surely use one.
Assure yourself this is no trend. Accept the gift of the one-off…
Can someone take that ‘Orange is the New Black’ pic and photoshop KKMcG’s head where the blonde is?
Thanks in advance.
I’ll give it a go.
McG’s office State Auditor Facebook page seems to have disappeared…
13 years per felony. Depends if she cooperates or pleads not guilty tomorrow at the arraignment. Vindication for some. Especially others that were mistreated by her. Hope she fries and they stick a hot poker where the sun doesn’t shine
In the meantime, we need a State Auditor. Governor John Carney will have to appoint someone. Who better than Kathleen Davies?
https://www.change.org/p/john-carney-delaware-governor-john-carney-appoint-kathleen-davies-to-the-state-auditor-position
If/when it comes to it, I hope Carney does that.
But don’t forget, he’s good buddies with Brenda Mayrack, who ran an unfortunate campaign against Tom Wagner.
Race was hers to lose. She lost it.
Yes Kathleen Davies is the best by Seal Test.
A typical day in the Dem-controlled state of Delaware…
Don’t embarrass yourself.
Tax and spend, baby, tax and spend. Suck it.
“perp-walk” is gross. c’mon mack…
lol. That’s right, it isn’t like she is a common street criminal like some kind of car sleeper, eh?
But folks, she swore an oath….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG8ffxlI-lA
BTW, lest we forget, McGuiness got less than 42% in the D primary for state auditor in 2018. Davies got around 35%. Perennial candidate (and spoiler) Dennis E. Williams got a little over 23%.
Paging Ms. Mayrack, Ms. Brenda Mayrack….
So who’s jumping in this primary?
Not sure. But as with all statewide elections, the winner of the Dem primary is the eventual auditor.
The prosecution will offer 18 months in some federal country club prison like Danbury in return for a guilty plea. McGuiness will take that deal.
Print this prediction out and save it.
I dunno. I get the sense that Jennings wants to make an example of McGuiness. Kinda on the order of ‘there’s a new sheriff in town’.
But then again, I’m always optimistic on stuff like this. You’re the realist, and almost inevitably correct.
Yes, she didn’t have to do the announcement herself. This was a signal.
Big pharmaceutical is the one making the example. It reminds me of Dozinger’s case.
With all due respect… Shut up with the pharmaceutical BS. Nobody is buying the spin.
Interesting that no media report I’ve seen has mentioned that one of our state senators – who will sit as the jury if impeachment occurs – was her first chief of staff.
That is true. I notice that neither Spiros nor his wife were huge contributors to her primary campaign, though…
Spiros may get away scot free, as he resigned about a year before the investigation started. He still was one of her henchmen in that office and did the dirty work of treating some of the employees like garbage.
He no doubt will be vulnerable for his ties to McGuiness, and, if the R’s find someone decent, or if there is a D primary, he will have to answer for them.
I’m in the scot free camp.
Normal people pay little to no attention to this stuff. Sure – is Spiros reading this right now? Yes. Will it matter to people who somehow make it to the polls? nah.
Well, considering that (a) he had a competitive race last time; and (b) the fact that progressives are not enamored of him, this stuff could well be brought up.
Reading this stuff will likely have no impact, but politicos are aware of this weakness. Whether or not they act on it…
Since AG Jennings is going to treat McGuiness just like any other perp, how about some civil asset forfeiture?
The daughter and her friend are guilty and chargeable too. I think that’s the lever that gets her to plea. I think a felony conviction costs her the pharmacy license.
McGuniess was trying to audit DHSS/Medicaid for 3 years & they weren’t turning over records. She was hitting roadblocks with the nursing home info & covid (remember Yrene Waldron?). An article was released, a few weeks ago, stating that McGuniess was using subpoena power for the documents & she was due in court. She was also a previous pharmacist & advocated against predatory practices. The charges are a joke –
Felony charges, Nepotism, fraud & witness intimidation. This reminds me of the Dozinger case.
I’m still waiting for accountability on my grandmom’s elder abuse, DHSS corruption & Medicaid fraud. So where are the records, Jennings? Or does the health industry/ pharmaceutical own Delaware? A corporate coup d’etat in slow motion.
Elected in 2018, took office in 2019, hasn’t finished her 2nd year yet. The charges are not a joke, they reflect an indifference for the law and for ethical behavior. Not saying that DHSS / Medicaid don’t deserve auditing, but McGuiness was clearly not the person motivated to get to the bottom of anything. If your goal was to see accountability you should be cheering this as a step in the right direction.
The charges aren’t a joke. At the very least, they are a perfect example of why you shouldn’t treat your subordinates like garbage AND do illegal and unethical shit. She treated her employees like crap in the 2.5 years on the job. She instilled a culture of fear. If she didn’t want people telling on her, maybe she shouldn’t have acted like such a tyrant on the job.
Did you read the other article in Delaware State News? $19,000 nepotism job. Nepotism is a birth right of Delaware. They would all be charged if that was the real issue. They chose to go after a &19,000 salary…a joke!
“they are a perfect example of why you shouldn’t treat your subordinates like garbage AND do illegal and unethical shit.”
Good point. Pick a lane.
This is the guy she hired as her attorney: https://6abc.com/archive/7500107/
Steve Wood was a Deputy AG who was the executioner of Jane Brady/Tom Sharp/Jim Vaughn/Wayne Smith’s draconian drug laws back in the day.
He earnestly took the floor on EVERY SINGLE BILL and argued as to why minimum mandatories would solve everyone’s problems. Uh, everyone who was white, that is. As much as anyone, he’s responsible for locking away hundreds of casual drug users in Delaware.
He’s a good attorney, though, and it’s not as if KMG isn’t entitled to legal representation.
I used to get high with him back at UD.
the big pharma conspiracy theory is something I didn’t see coming.
Nobody expects the BigPharm Inquisition!
McGuiness had an indy pharmacy. Hence, she decided to spend taxpayers’ money to put together a report pre-ordained to go after the big scrip pharmacies and the big box pharmacies. You know, instead of auditing state agencies. Here’s the report:
https://news.delaware.gov/2021/08/30/auditor-mcguiness-survey-shows-predatory-pbm-practices-destroying-independent-pharmacies/
WTF does THAT have to do with her job as State Auditor?
Bingo El! Same thing with the attempted audits for DHSS that are mentioned above. The Auditor is not responsible for auditing whether programs are working well but rather they are responsible for auditing program expenditures, not outcomes. Thats why DHSS was taking her to court. It would be like if the IRS audited you and wanted to do an assement on whether you were purchasing healthy foods at the grocery store and whether you were changing the oil in your car regularly. I’m sure thats great information to have, but its not her job. She wants to be more than the Auditor. Thats why instead of doing her job she’s doing reports on Marijuana. Good riddance.
I don’t know the details about the DHSS Audit but “performance audits” started when Wagner was the Auditor and are very much part of the Auditors job in all states across our country. This link to the American Legislative Exchange Council provides a great explanation of both the need and scope of the “Performance Audit.” https://www.alec.org/model-policy/an-act-relating-to-performance-audits-of-governmental-entities/
While I also believe the current auditor worked outside her job responsibilities, the need for performance audits, which do check an agency’s effectiveness, is well within the scope of the office’s responsibilities. Another view!
After pleading not guilty I wonder who will look more foolish at the end of all this (I mean besides the tax payers who will be footing the bill)
There is just no fucking way she pleads not guilty. Even if she is dying to go to trial to get in in front of a jury and explain away this big misunderstanding, her lawyers will quit en mass before they allow that to happen.
https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2021/10/12/delaware-auditor-kathy-mcguiness-surrenders-police-pleads-not-guilty/6103893001/
I’m no lawyer, but I’ve watched enough television to know that there is a long road to trial. This plea is part of a dance.
right, a long trial that jennings needs to make sure she nails everything down. its all on her and if it is a long trial it wont look good that they are spending a lot of money if she doesnt get a 100% guilty on all charges and jail time.
So, if she only wins convictions on 89% of the charges, and McG gets jail time, that would be considered a failure?
Are you arguing that the State shouldn’t prosecute someone who has apparently violated (a) the law and (b) her oath of office?
What, exactly, is your point?
There are lots of other defense strategies beyond a defendant testifying.
When the evidence is all things McGuiness said and put into emails, I’m not sure if other defenses are in play.