Kathy McGuiness Indicted: Open Thread
Might as well morph this thread into an indictment thread now that the State Auditor has been indicted. That press conference by AG Jennings was something. She didn’t hold back about the public trust being violated. As you scroll through this existing thread, you will see all the particulars about the charges. But here’s the bare-bones bottom line:
Charges include ‘conflict-of-interest, felony theft, noncompliance with procurement law, official misconduct, and felony witness intimidation’.
KKMcG has signaled that she is running for governor. She must have thought, “Golly. If someone with as little substance as John Carney can be Governor, why not me?” Whatever her reasons, she seems to have started campaigning, and this criminal/legal/who the fuck knows? situation can’t be how she wanted to launch her candidacy. The slow rolling of events feels fishy. And that fishiness has prompted some to wonder if possible gubernatorial rivals might be up to something. I realize that this is speculation within speculation, and FTR, I think that second level speculation is utterly baseless.
For one thing McG doesn’t seem to need any help in screwing up. Also, what would Jennings or Hall-Long gain from fucking with or eliminating McG? Nothing as far as I can see. There is nothing but downside for anyone getting involved with McG.
Consider the idea that BHL is somehow involved in “going after” KKMcG. It just seems seems highly unlikely on its face to me. Hall-Long has established a fairly large group of supporters among dependable if dull party people who don’t need to be reminded to turnout on primary day. I don’t think she would be very nervous about a gadfly candidate like McG with no real support within the party. And when I say McG has no real support within the Party I am speaking of the Democratic Party of Delaware where she has not exactly distinguished herself as competent or a team player. Then again, BHL has a husband with a demonstrated ability to aim the gun at his own foot, and the steely nerves required to pull the trigger.
What about Jennings? This is even farther fetched. If Jennings is running, she REALLY has no need to get involved in investigating a potential rival. In fact, if this investigation (or whatever it is) seems like a very slow moving freight train that may be in part because the AG needs it to be both airtight and unimpeachable. One can easily imagine the AG seeing this on her desk for the first time and saying, “Oh Fuck. What an idiot.”
As a favor to Kathleen McGuinness, could the public defender’s office in Delaware please hire Kathleen’s daughter and put her on the state payroll, as part of Kathleen’s defense team? She could work remotely from Charleston…
I realize that I left Matt Meyer’s name out of this drawing room drama. I didn’t intend to slight the other person who seems to be running for Gov.
I’m honestly puzzled to see how BHL is gonna put together a winning coalition.
She’s John Carney (the one who lost to Markell), only up against a more activist Democratic Party. She made a cameo at the Arden Fair with John Cartier, Ray Seigfried, and the guy who used to be Cartier’s aide. Might as well have come in camouflage.
‘Next in line’ ain’t gonna cut it in 2024. Democrats who vote in primaries are sick of Carney’s schtick.
By jumping in front of every camera she sees?
Name recognition is her only hope. She has nothing to run on.
Matt Meyer is unapologetically running for Governor hiring political hacks in county staff so he can flip em to campaign positions down the line
that said his primary win Margin against someone with no money was less then impressive. No one knows the guy in Kent or Sussex
BHL prob has the early narrow lead unless Jennings gets in. That would change it all.
If you’re talking Erik Raser-Schramm, there’s nobody else I’d rather have on my side in a primary.
Meyer has some rough edges. But his opposition is/was largely from the cops and the construction trades. They lost, and will only continue to lose party influence moving forward.
Since I don’t believe that Kathy Jennings is getting in, I’d make Meyer the narrow favorite, certainly against BHL. Mainly because he can put together a more or less progressive platform that will likely appeal to a primary electorate.
They got nearly 44 percent of the vote with no real campaign due to Covid…
That was more then cops and union guys
Democratic Governor Primary Ballot:
BHL
Matt Meyer
Democratic Lt. Governor Primary Ballot
K. Jennings
???
Republican Governor Primary Ballot:
K. McGuiness
???
Republican Lt. Governor Primary Ballot:
Ernie Lopez
???
Jennings is the AG of the state.
She’s not running for some uselesss 80k side gig they call the DE LT GOV
She’s in for Gov or nothing. She prob rather get appointed to DE US Attorney if not Governor but def not Ltg
I agree with that.
McGuiness went after big pharmaceutical. This is her punishment. She is definitely out. This is a corporate takeover Of our judicial system
Who’s the most feckless politician we have? That’s who’ll be governor
lol
Most of this points to a change in gender leadership in ‘The Delaware Way/’ This is not a bad thing in itself but that way of politics in Delaware needs to change. As an African-American male, my experience and belief is that white women are not natural allies. Too often they flex that their mere presence is proof of diversity. Delaware politics and social structure needs to begin a search for equity. Asians, Latinos and African-Americans are all part if of the mix. Let’s see if the new wave is one of change.
Interesting point. I certainly agree that simply changing from “moderate” male corporate toadies to “moderate” female corporate toadies doesn’t change much, if anything.
Glad to hear from you, Mark.
I would blank my ballot if that cheater was the nominee. Still upset she beat out Spadola — at least he helped get rid of police quotas in wilmington.
The Black Caucus is obsessed with McGuinness. She has totally ingratiated herself into lots of communities in Wilmington, so she should be seen as a serious contender for 2024.
She’s insincere, does little in the auditor’s office, and is driven only by a desire to gain more power.
If, by communities, you mean some of the more ethically-dubious ‘leaders’, you may be correct.
Let’s just see how some of those ‘leaders’ survive redistricting before ceding the Black vote to her.
The Black Caucus is in no way a monolith, and I predict its membership will become more constituent-focused in November of 2022. In other words, more people like Madinah Wilson-Anton, Larry Lambert and Marie Pinkney. And fewer people like Stephanie Bolden, Darius Brown, and Franklin Cooke.
2:30
AG Jennings to announce “major public trust indictment” at 2:30pm today. Could this be it?
We ALL hope so!
‘Rubs hands together’:
Ohpleasepleaseplease….
Something something something independent pharmacies?
Interesting…
Especially since you have the State Auditor (who previously ran an indy pharmacy) releasing this report:
https://news.delaware.gov/2021/08/30/auditor-mcguiness-survey-shows-predatory-pbm-practices-destroying-independent-pharmacies/
WTF?
OK, I’m really not surprised.
But we’ve got an auditor saying she doesn’t have the resources to conduct the audits of state agencies that are her responsibility under state law using taxpayer dollars to write reports on private businesses?
Assuming that whatever comes down the pike marks the end of her political career (which I would not necessarily assume), the position of State Auditor cries out for a progressive candidate. There’s so much shit to look at.
Kathleen Davies should run again in 2022. Progressive and an ACTUAL auditor. She came fairly close to taking our McGuiness in the primary, which made her a target in the auditor’s office. Is she even still there? We need her.
From Delaware ONline’s Facebook page: “Attorney General Kathy Jennings will announce this afternoon that the Department of Justice is indicting Kathy McGuiness on undisclosed charges.”
‘…corruption, nepotism, fraud and misconduct…’
Charges include ‘conflict-of-interest, felony theft, noncompliance with procurement law, official misconduct, and felony witness intimidation’.
Jennings reveals a scheme by Kathy to completely avoid procurement law, and to give a contract to McGuiness’ campaign group. Jennings describes how McGuiness trained her campaign group to avoid state procurement law.
Gotta say, this is pretty amazing.
Jennings alleges that McG hired her daughter and her friend for positions after dismissing casual and seasonal employees b/c there was ‘no work’. Oh, and then paid her daughter for work while she was away at school.
What’s that? Al has instructed the pilot to turn the plane around?
‘…as detailed and as thorough as any indictment we’ve ever brought…’
‘…she (McG) has declined to speak with them (prosecutors).’
‘…approximately a dozen whistleblowers who came forward over time.’
‘…The General Assembly makes the call as to impeachment…’
Gee, wonder what Speaker Pete will do…
Wonder if Ernie Lopez will recuse himself.
Oh, so her punishment is up to the GA? This basically guarantees her reelection
No. She has been indicted. The courts will consider that.
But, if she is to be removed from office prior to her being convicted, it will be up to the General Assembly to do so.
“Gee, wonder what Speaker Pete will do…”
Pete will slow-walk impeachment while she negotiates a no-felony, no-jail plea and retires with pension intact.
That sounds sickeningly spot on.
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/