Feds clear Delaware Senate leader

Federal officials have cleared Delaware’s state Senate leader of violating federal law when he ran for Senate in 2008.

In a letter dated May 10, an attorney with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel informed Senate president pro tem Anthony DeLuca that the OSC had investigated the allegations and was closing the case without further action.

“I knew that there were no violations on my behalf from the beginning, there never was any violations and the allegations were false,” he said. “And it’s very nice to have finally been completely exonerated.”

The investigation involved DeLuca’s job as administrator of the state Office of Labor Law Enforcement, which receives federal funds for investigating job discrimination claims.

The nearly four-month investigation stemmed from charges that DeLuca was violating the Hatch Act – which bars people whose jobs involve federal money – from seeking political office.

Investigators interviewed Labor Department personnel and documents including e-mails, personnel evaluations and contracts between the state and federal governments dating back to 2004.