Uncovering the Truth: A Forensic Probe into Delaware's Political Finances

In a stunning revelation, the chief executive of Delaware's largest county has called for a federal investigation into the campaign finances of the state's lieutenant governor, who is also a contender for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. This development comes on the heels of a forensic review commissioned by the state Department of Elections, which uncovered significant improprieties in the campaign finances of Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long.

Exposing the Discrepancies: A Troubling Trail of Misreported Funds

Uncovering the Irregularities

The forensic review, conducted by a retired FBI senior executive who is a certified fraud examiner, has shed light on a troubling pattern of financial discrepancies within Lt. Gov. Hall-Long's campaign. The report found that Hall-Long and her husband had received payments totaling ,000 more than what she had purportedly loaned to her campaign. Additionally, the review uncovered that Hall-Long's husband and former campaign treasurer, Dana Long, had written four campaign checks to himself, but falsely reported that they had been written to someone else.

A Trail of Unreported Expenditures

The fraud examiner, Jeffrey Lampinski, also determined that from January 2016 to December 2023, Dana Long had written 112 checks from his wife's campaign committee account to himself or to cash, and one check to his wife. These checks, totaling just under 0,000, should have been reported as campaign expenditures. However, Lampinski found that 109 of these checks were never reported in the initial finance reports, and the remaining four, payable to Dana Long, were reported as being made to someone else.

Attempts to Conceal the Findings

According to County Executive Matt Meyer, the report provides evidence that Hall-Long attempted to cover up the irregularities and was still doing so until the last moment, when she asked the state election commissioner to keep the report detailing the illegalities confidential and not release the findings to the public.

Calls for Accountability

"Delawareans, all of us, deserve to be able to trust our elected officials and know that rules and laws apply to everyone, and apply to everyone equally," Meyer said, decrying what he called Hall-Long's "near-decade long illegal conduct." The county executive's call for a federal investigation underscores the gravity of the situation and the need for a thorough and impartial examination of the allegations.

Hall-Long's Response: Dismissing the Allegations

In response to the allegations, Hall-Long's campaign has described Meyer's remarks as "totally unjustified." The lieutenant governor has maintained that she has voluntarily cooperated with the Delaware Department of Elections and will continue to do so. However, the forensic review and the subsequent revelations have cast a shadow over her campaign and raised serious questions about the integrity of her financial practices.

A Troubled Campaign and Attempts at Damage Control

The scandal has led to the resignations of Hall-Long's campaign manager, chief fundraiser, and campaign treasurer, who had replaced Dana Long as treasurer only five months earlier. In a bid to address the issues, Hall-Long has stated that she is working with "independent campaign finance experts and forensic accountants to thoroughly audit the finances." However, the purported audit conducted by the firm hired by Hall-Long has been called into question, as it relied exclusively on information provided by the campaign and made no determination about wrongdoing.

Ongoing Investigations and Calls for Transparency

The Delaware Department of Elections has indicated that the amended campaign finance reports submitted by Hall-Long still do not bring her into compliance with state campaign finance laws. The election commissioner has assured Hall-Long that he will not refer the matter to the Democratic Attorney General, but has expected her committee to take "prompt corrective action." The call for a federal investigation by County Executive Meyer adds another layer of scrutiny to the ongoing saga, underscoring the need for a comprehensive and transparent examination of the allegations.