Delaware state auditor indicted on public corruption charges

By RANDALL CHASE
Associated Press

DOVER, Del. (AP) — A Delaware official responsible for rooting out government fraud and abuse has been indicted on public corruption charges. An indictment issued Monday charges 58-year-old Kathleen McGuiness with felony counts of theft and witness intimidation. She also faces misdemeanor charges of official misconduct, conflict of interest and noncompliance with procurement laws. The charges include allegations that McGuiness hired her daughter last year even after other employees had to leave because of the lack of available work amid the coronavirus pandemic. McGuiness also is charged with orchestrating a 2019 no-bid contract for a company she had used as a campaign consultant when running for lieutenant governor in 2016.