Delaware Inspector General

Delaware has long struggled with having an open and transparent government that is accountable to residents and taxpayers. In 2015, the Center for Public Integrity ranked Delaware as the 48th worst state for its systems to deter corruption. In 2024, the organization F Minus gave Delaware a failing grade on lobbyist transparency. 

Establishing an Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has been the main focus of DelCOG over the past few years. After working with the Association of Inspectors General to craft model legislation for the state, in 2022, DelCOG argued in favor of House Bill 405, a bipartisan bill to create a Delaware OIG. Seventeen Delaware organizations signed on in support, and the Committee released the bill. The bill, however, never got a vote in the House.

DelCOG continued pushing for the creation of a Delaware OIG, including presenting at an Inspector General symposium at Villanova Law School. In 2024, Senator Laura Sturgeon introduced Senate Bill 21, an even stronger version of the prior bill. The bill was unanimously passed out of the Senate Executive Committee, but never received a hearing in the Senate Finance Committee.

In 2025, we have a critical opportunity to finally make a Delaware Inspector General into a reality. Incoming Governor Matt Meyer has published a policy book saying “It’s time Delaware had one,” and that he will press for the passage of legislation to create one.

Thirty-five states and the District of Columbia have an OIG at the state, county, or municipal level. All states with an OIG also have an attorney general and an auditor. These offices enhance each others’ efforts to work for the public good and enhance public trust.

By exercising its oversight and investigative authority, an Office of the Delaware Inspector General could do the following:

1. Ensure that government agencies act in the public interest and conduct agency affairs with honesty and integrity.
2. Uphold the reputation of agencies that are in compliance with the law if wrongly accused of improper or illegal behavior.
3. Save taxpayer money — inspectors general have a history of reducing waste in government agencies.
4. Investigate and evaluate state-agency deficiencies and questionable practices to deter and stop fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement.
5. Hold agency officials ethically and legally accountable for their actions or inactions.
6. Recommend legal action regarding official misconduct if laws are broken by working in concert with law enforcement, the Attorney General, the State Auditor, and the Public Integrity Commission.
7. Respond to alerts by resident and state-employee whistleblowers.
8. Recommend changes to state laws, policies, and procedures to help rectify systemic problems by reporting to the governor, state agencies, the legislator, and the public.
9. Provide intangible benefits by serving as an alternative resource for employees and staff to report their concerns, while motivating state-agency officials to function in the best interests of all Delawareans.

An independent, nonpartisan Office of the Inspector General would fill a void in our state government and benefit state agencies by assisting them to efficiently and effectively carry out their missions, reinforcing agency policies and procedures, and investigating wrongdoing if necessary, while working cooperatively with the Department of Justice and the Auditor of Accounts.

OIGs in other states have recovered billions in misspent taxpayer dollars while deterring further corruption and other wrongdoing. The state estimates that the OIG will cost around $1.5 million each year, which represents around 0.025% of the state’s $6 billion budget for FY 2025. In other states, these offices have recovered funds far exceeding the cost to fund them. The OIG is a good investment to protect public funds and will save taxpayers money by recovering misspent funds and preventing waste and fraud.

It is time for Delaware to create an independent, nonpartisan Office of the Inspector General to provide the oversight and accountability that the public deserves.

DelCOG supports the creation of a Delaware Office of the Inspector General for all of these reasons. Your voice – the voice of the people – is vitally important: it will help to ensure that members of the General Assembly know their constituents expect them to pass this legislation and that the Governor will sign the bill into law. 

Write or call your Senator and Representative today to let them know that you also support creating the Delaware Office of the Inspector General.