March 31, 2025

Delnicki: Time to Restore Trust in Government

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HARTFORD – State Rep. Tom Delnicki stood with his House and Senate Republicans colleagues on Thursday exposing the series of ethical lapses in the state that erode public trust, calling for an expansion of the state’s Inspector General (IG) role to investigate this waste, fraud, and abuse.

“I stand with South Windsor taxpayers in making sure their hard-earned tax dollars are appropriately spent.” Rep. Delnicki said, “As someone that was issued an MDC Purchasing Card (P-Card) when I worked there, The MDC had hard and fast rules to follow to ensure that this type of abuse could never occur. I am disturbed by the reckless and egregious spending by the CSCU President Terrence Cheng, having an independent state inspector general provides an extra level of oversight.”

Some of the controversies highlighted on Thursday:

Connecticut State Colleges & Universities (CSCU) Spending Scandal: CSCU President Terrence Cheng and other leaders faced scrutiny for reckless spending while students endured tuition hikes and the system claimed funding shortages. Cheng remains employed.
Department Social Services Audit Cancellation: Serious transparency and accountability concerns tied to the case of the former State Deputy Budget Director Kosta Diamantis and former Rep. Christopher Ziogas and questions involving an audit canceled on the watch of Former DSS Commissioner and current OHS Commissioner Deidre Gifford.
Social Equity Council Grants supporting the state’s cannabis businesses: Questions remain concerning the fairness and transparency of grant allocations to community organizations.

The proposed expanded responsibilities include:

Expand Inspector General (“IG”) responsibilities to investigate fraud, waste, and abuse in the expenditure or use of state resources
Review of Auditors’ reports on Agencies and investigate findings of fraud, waste, and abuse
Intake complaints, including from whistleblowers
Intake referrals from the Auditors and state agencies
Refer cases to state/federal authorities
Recommend policies to limit fraud/waste
Review/make recommendations on legislation
Submit reports to the General Assembly annually starting in 2026
Seek civil recovery of funds