Schedule the special session and get on with it. Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf is still missing. He was last seen on July 1. We will be contacting the authorities so that they can issue a BOLO.
Senate President Pro Tempore Dave Sokola, Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, and Senate Majority Whip Elizabeth “Tizzy” Lockman issued a joint statement today regarding the removal of the Auditor of Accounts:
“Based on the clear legal precedent established in Slawik v. Folsom, the Senate agrees with Governor Carney that at this stage he cannot unilaterally remove the State Auditor from her position under Article XV of the Delaware Constitution.
At this juncture, we believe both the Constitution and the gravity of Auditor McGuiness’s crimes compel the General Assembly to make use of its own authority to remove her from office, whether via Article VI impeachment or Article III removal proceedings. Today, we want to make crystal clear our intentions to do exactly that for the Delawareans who are demanding accountability following the Auditor’s egregious breach of public trust.
Delawareans deserve a State Auditor who is able to safeguard taxpayer dollars and good fiscal stewardship ethically, expertly, and free from further distraction or additional abuses of power. In short, the power of incumbency must not prevail over the people’s rightful demands for accountability.
We once again call on Auditor McGuiness to place the public’s interest ahead of her own and resign. Otherwise, the General Assembly must exercise its Constitutional powers and the Senate is prepared to lead the way.”
Just do it indeed. Let the Auditor’s office get some leadership that will let them get back to doing the job they are supposed to.
AND while I’m here — go to york4auditor.com to signup to help Lydia York (and to donate!) get elected to the Office of Auditor. She’s got a long resume of competence, transparency and leadership.
Where is Pete Schwarzkopf on this? Does he need to recuse himself from this for some reason?
Pete has plenty to say when he’s busy making lives of Delawareans worse, but nothing to say when he needs to actually hold people in power to account. The weakest leadership imaginable.
Not “weakest” leadership. Most corrupt and despotic leadership. His tenure has been fueled by his abuse of power creating a system of rewards and punishment and coercion and intimidation. Committee chairs that are remarkably Ill-equipped to be chairs and on those committees who guarantee an undying fealty to Pete’s despotic manipulations. Tyrants only exist because of cowardly and apathetic behavior by those that are willing to put principles second and a price tag on their moral compass