Delaware’s elected state auditor, who was indicted this week on felony charges for alleged corruption in office, has defied several calls by political allies and foes to resign or take a leave of absence.
And now, first-term Auditor Kathy McGuiness is accusing her own accuser, Attorney General Kathy Jennings, of unethical conduct, and is seeking court sanctions against her.
Both Democrats were elected to statewide office in 2018, and some political observers have speculated the two would seek the party’s nomination to succeed Gov. John Carney when his second term ends in 2024.
Instead, the two elected public watchdogs are facing off three years before the election, and McGuiness is showing no signs of cowering in the face of the charges brought by the Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust in Jennings’ office.
A motion filed late Thursday by McGuiness in Superior Court seeks sanctions against Jennings for allegedly threatening her right to a fair trial during a press conference the attorney general held Monday after the indictment was obtained.