Dear Inspector General Storch,
On behalf of the Senate Republican Caucus of the Delaware General Assembly, we would like to congratulate you on your confirmation by the Delaware State Senate and your immediate swearing-in as Delaware’s first Inspector General.
Your extensive background in government oversight, public integrity investigations, and accountability efforts at the federal level made you a strong and credible choice to lead this newly established office. We look forward to working with you as the Office of Inspector General begins carrying out its mission to investigate fraud, waste, abuse, corruption, and mismanagement within Delaware state government.
As co-sponsors and supporters of Senate Bill 4, which established the Office of Inspector General, we believed the creation of this office was necessary to strengthen public confidence in government and ensure taxpayer resources are being used appropriately and lawfully. The legislation specifically empowers your office to investigate fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement involving state agencies and governmental resources.
With that mission in mind, we respectfully request that your office prioritize a review and investigation into potential fraud involving public assistance programs administered or funded by the State of Delaware.
Across the nation, investigators and federal authorities have uncovered alarming schemes involving fraudulent childcare centers, hospice providers, home healthcare operations, and related programs receiving taxpayer dollars through public assistance streams. In states such as Minnesota, Ohio, and California, these investigations have revealed widespread abuse involving fraudulent billing, organized criminal activity, misuse of public funds, and failures in oversight that allowed these schemes to continue for extended periods of time.
We are not suggesting wrongdoing by any specific provider or organization at this time. But, for example, submitting multiple claims for government funds from the same address can raise red flags for potential fraud, as it may indicate attempts to mislead grant administrators or misuse funding. We believe your office has an opportunity to uncover any such obvious concerns and take a proactive approach before potential problems grow larger and more costly.
We respectfully ask that your office review the adequacy of existing oversight mechanisms, identify any areas vulnerable to fraud or abuse, and investigate any credible allegations involving misuse of taxpayer-funded aid programs. We also encourage coordination, where appropriate, with federal agencies, the Delaware Department of Justice, and other investigative entities as contemplated under Senate Bill 4.
Thank you for your willingness to serve the people of Delaware in this important role. We appreciate your commitment to transparency, accountability, and integrity in government, and we look forward to working with your office in the years ahead.
Sincerely,
Senators Bryant Richardson, Gerald Hocker, Brian Pettyjohn, Dave Lawson, Dave Wilson, and Eric Buckson